Worst time of year to be an atheist?

[h.g.Whiz]

It needs to be pithier, so that it can be written in large letters.

I don't want to give people any reason to get closer.

 

[RockNroll]

I find Christmas to be a pretty awesome time to be an atheist, since the secular components of the holiday have completely and utterly taken over the religious ones (which were always a bit dubious to begin with, unless you're referring to pagan religions).

I for one really enjoy the tacky, kitschy, commercial aspect of christmas, and would never miss an occasion to swap gifts, stuff my face, and get drunk on eggnog while listening to Bing Crosby.

And, as someone who greatly approves of the commercialisation of christmas, I LOVE hearing certain religious/spiritual types whine endlessly about the commercialisation of christmas

 

[gnome]

While complaining that businesses don't mention Christmas enough.

http://barthsnotes.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/wall-street-bull-prayer.jpg?w=434&h=303

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Companies in the US bend over backwards to not appear too Christian at Xmas because they're afraid non-Christians will not buy their junk. As Xmas is all about the $$$$ now, this reduces Xmas to a non-religious event more and more as the years go on.

 

[Mister Agenda]

Mental note: if I ever get to visit China, make it around Christmas.

My freethought group usually gets together at a Chinese restaurant on Xmas day. One more party, when most folks are staying home.

 

[Leumas]

Christmas is the time of year when all faiths come together to celebrate the birth of our lord and savior: Money.

Companies in the US bend over backwards to not appear too Christian at Xmas because they're afraid non-Christians will not buy their junk. As Xmas is all about the $$$$ now, this reduces Xmas to a non-religious event more and more as the years go on.

And it is not just Christmas NOW..... have you noticed the Black Friday stuff and the Halloween stuff and Easter stuff.......it is all about PUSHING and subliminally making people BUY BUY BUY.....

Any excuse to advertise junk and make people OBLIGED to buy junk they do not need or even afford......"she won't love you unless you buy her this or that"...."you are not a good parent unless you buy your 5 years old a car".... "you are worthless unless you spend spend spend".....etc. etc.

Notice before Christmas all the BUY BUY BUY advertising and not just on normal advertising spots but even in regular programming that you watch.....for example, have you noticed how every tom dick and harry is now using an iPad (or tablet) on almost all the programs?

Then.....AFTER the holidays....notice the type of advertising there is..... they are all the kind of commercials that go like this:

Are you BROKE....are you desperately broke.....we can help you just call xxxx​

 

[Craig4]

That's rude. Let's keep it civil.

How about:

Merry Christmas. Good bye.

How much religious freight does "merry Christmas" really carry? It strikes me as churlish to be rude to someone who is wishing me a happy holiday season.

 

[gabeygoat]

Things i hate about this time of the year
All the sales and people going ape to beat each other to the prize
Insane consumerism
Christmas songs. Especially pop or country christmas songs. I hate that radio stations stop playing their regular programs, and substitute it with wall to wall christmas songs weeks before thanksgiving has even happened.

Things I like
Scents. for reals. the candles, and trees, and pies, and cider and egg nog, etc
Seasonal coffee/tea drinks
Football (american) games.


I Think these lists would be similar regardless of me being an atheist or not.

 

[Complexity]

That's rude. Let's keep it civil.

How about:

Merry Christmas. Good bye.

Nonsense.

I'm rude and I will be scathingly rude to those who plague me.

STFU is entirely appropriate. I despise christianity.

 

[MattusMaximus]

I often find it strange how people assume that this is the worst time of year to hold an atheistic belief. As if you look around, see all the decorations and just get consumed with rage or something.

I mean most Christmas stuff is aesthetically pleasing. Do I really need to believe in baby Jesus to appreciate it? I don't think so. I do think it's dumb to get angry over the phrase "happy holidays" though.

Anyone else ever run into this attitude? Every run into someone that actually tries to console you?

I have seen a few people who know about my open atheism check themselves a little bit when they wish me a "Merry Christmas", and they do act a little surprised when I smile and genuinely respond in kind. It's like they've been brainwashed into thinking (thank you, War on Christmas^TM and Fox News) that because I'm atheistic that I'm some kind of grumpy, Scrooge-like bastard.

I don't care if people say "Merry Christmas", "Happy Hannukah", "Kwazy Kwanzaa", "Good Festivus", or "Eat at Joe's" to me during this time of year. What I care more about is how they say it. If it comes across as a genuine expression of good cheer, groovy; if it comes across as a sneer from someone who is looking for a fight because they feel the need to "defend their faith" (again, thank you War on Christmas^TM and Fox News), that is when I get somewhat annoyed.

Beyond that, I like the generally festive nature of the season. That, and crackling fires, the company of friends and family, and good spirits (the drinking kind ).

 

[MattusMaximus]

The only Christmas tradition I have distaste for are political hacks riling up Christians with the phantom "War on Christmas" and the idea that very act of trying to acknowledge other beliefs is somehow a "politically correct" attack on Christianity itself.

Yup, this. The constant whining and martyr syndrome of these attention whores annoys me to no end.

 

[Andrew Wiggin]

Christmas is the time of year when all faiths come together to celebrate the birth of our lord and savior: Money.

True. That's why our money is labeled 'in god we trust' so we know what to worship.

 

[Shankly]

I probably go along with Richard Dawkins description of being 'culturally Christian', despite being an athiest. I enjoy the traditional trappings of Christmas. I even go to church - my wife is a Christian and, whilst I don't often accompany her to church in the year, I usually go on Christmas Eve. Her friends at church know I'm an athiest, but it doesn't seem to bother them - they are very nice people and never try to force their beliefs on me (although I know that they pray for me!).

 

[bjornart]

We were pretty lucky in Scandinavia, the Christ Mass name never caught on and we're still celebrating Yule. It's not very different from how the rest of the Western world celebrate the season, but at least the Christians don't have as good reasons as they do in other countries to claim the holiday as purely theirs. In Scandinavia, it's almost purely a secular holiday.

Yup. "Let's put Christ back in Yule!" is somewhat lacking as a rallying cry. So with fundamentalist Christians in Norway being a very marginal group we can stick to the traditional Norwegian Yule controversies: What do people eat on Christmas eve before opening their presents? What is the proper set of seven Christmas treats? And are you really a Norwegian if you buy an industrially produced fir for your Christmas tree instead of getting your own* Norway spruce straight from the forest?

*Either as my grandfather did, picking one that's too close to another tree, thinning the forest, but getting a tree with branches only on one side. Or as I and my brother did, search our uncle's land for a nice, but expendable tree, until fed up and then nicking a prime example from just the other side of the property line.

 

[bjornart]

Now I'm happy.

I think I just found my t-shirt slogan.

When wearing this to school (at the end of the school year only) I insist it's for the little known St. Thomas Farming University in North Dakota.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/unisex/generic/78ae/

 

[h.g.Whiz]

Nonsense.

I'm rude and I will be scathingly rude to those who plague me.

STFU is entirely appropriate. I despise christianity.

STFU alone won't be taken seriously. I thought Merry Christmas Now STFU was clever.


If the target audience is imperfect strangers then how about:

perfect stranger (\ˈpər-fikt\ \ˈstrān-jər\)- a stranger that prefers to remain a stranger

My shirt says:

It's none of your business what my shirt says

 

[caniswalensis]

Nonsense.

I'm rude and I will be scathingly rude to those who plague me.

STFU is entirely appropriate. I despise christianity.

I know you are mostly just having fun here so do not take this as me coming down on you, but is it really true that anyone that looks at your shirt is someone that plagues you?

Seems like you are potentially being scathingly rude to innocent bystanders.

 

[h.g.Whiz]

I know you are mostly just having fun here so do not take this as me coming down on you, but is it really true that anyone that looks at your shirt is someone that plagues you?

Seems like you are potentially being scathingly rude to innocent bystanders.

If you had read the entire thread you would know that it is conversation from strangers that plagues him, the shirt is a preemptive strike, or an attempt to save his time and their feelings.

I hope you don't take offense, I haven't read this thread entirely either.

 

[caniswalensis]

If you had read the entire thread you would know that it is conversation from strangers that plagues him, the shirt is a preemptive strike, or an attempt to save his time and their feelings.

I hope you don't take offense, I haven't read this thread entirely either.

No offense taken H.G.

I have read most al of the thread, and all of friend Complexity's posts in it.

I just think that in attempting to make a preemptive strike against people that would plague him, a rude shirt would also be rude to people that had no intention of speaking to him at all. My point was that it is hard to justify being rude to everyone who happens to see your shirt, just because some people might bother you.

It's like nuking every country because you are at war with one or two. It's fun, of course, but where does it leave you?

It is definately a time saver for Complexity, but I question how telling someone to 'STFU' will spare their feelings.

 

[maddam]

I love Christmas - I love the togetherness, the fmaily time, giving presents to people and generally the air of celebration around the time. I even like the weather, not being particularly built for summer.

My background is Roman Catholic, and my dads side is pretty religious. I stopped going to Church when I was still pretty young, but that never really bothered my folks, being happy to let me choose for myself. Eventually, my dad starting going to midnight mass, which left the main day for us to spend it with the family.

The only thing that gets on my nerves is the music I'm as fond of Wizzard as the next person but there's only so many times I can hear that song before the red mist descends!