| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"johac" |
| Date: |
22 Dec 2006 02:07:53 AM |
| Object: |
Atheists' happy non-holidays |
How atheists cope with this time of year.
---
Atheists' happy non-holidays
BY JENNIFER BARRIOS
Newsday Staff Writer
December 22, 2006
It's hard for an atheist to escape the holidays.
Christmas carols play in the local drugstores, and Christmas lights hang
across storefronts and from the branches of front-yard evergreens.
Hanukkah menorahs burn brightly in windows.
But atheists, who do not believe in the existence of any deity, have
found ways to look at the bright side of the onslaught of religiosity
during this holiday season. And for atheists, who make up an estimated
11 percent of the American population, December's not such a bad thing.
Many atheists, who came to atheism later in life, grew up in homes where
Christmas or Hanukkah was celebrated and see the holidays as a time to
simply be with family. Others have their own December rituals, including
celebrating the winter solstice -- the shortest day of the year, which
was yesterday.
"I usually go with my family and we do the Christmas tree," said Jose
Morales, 45, a Manhattan researcher and "agnostic leaning toward
atheist."
Morales said that except for an occasional prayer, the experience is
mostly about family.
"We don't beat each other over the head with this stuff," he said.
Sean Malone, an atheist whose family also celebrates Christmas, complete
with a special Christmas Eve meal featuring foods from a different
country each year, said he prefers to view Christmas in a historical
context -- as a winter celebration with pagan influences.
"It's a lovely time to be with your family, your friends, and to have a
party when the weather's really bad," said Malone, 23, a graduate
student studying music at New York University who calls himself a
lifelong atheist.
Some atheists, like Gerry Dantone of East Northport, have their own
celebrations during this time of year.
"We do celebrate the solstice," Dantone said.
His house features a "solstice tree," and he and his wife gave their two
children, ages 12 and 14, solstice gifts.
Dantone also identifies himself as an agnostic and a humanist, a group
that adheres to a nonreligious moral and ethical code.
He said his organization, the Center for Inquiry, Long Island Community,
held a winter celebration this year at the Plainview public library.
For Josh Karpf, founder of New York City Atheists, there's definitely a
bright side to this time of year.
"The food is absolutely fantastic around the religious holidays," Karpf
said.
The 40-year-old Brooklyn resident said he thinks most atheists don't
have a problem with the holidays.
"Some get curmudgeonly and Grinchy about the commercial pop-culture
omnipresence of religion this time of year, but religious people
complain just as much about repetitive songs and crowds," Karpf said.
Morales said he takes the holidays in stride.
"Why get offended at something that is super-prevalent and that people
have the right to do?" he asked.
If there's one thing that does bother Karpf about the holidays, it's
that the good tidings seem to get packed away with the tinsel come
January.
"It seems that being good to each other and doing good work shouldn't be
limited to just this holiday period," Karpf said.
Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.
---
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-liath1222,0,957879.story?
track=rss
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
-Voltaire
Contact - Throw a .net over the .com
.
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| User: "Merovingian" |
|
| Title: Re: Atheists' happy non-holidays |
22 Dec 2006 03:06:15 AM |
|
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johac wrote:
How atheists cope with this time of year.
---
Atheists' happy non-holidays
BY JENNIFER BARRIOS
Newsday Staff Writer
December 22, 2006
It's hard for an atheist to escape the holidays.
Christmas carols play in the local drugstores, and Christmas lights hang
across storefronts and from the branches of front-yard evergreens.
Hanukkah menorahs burn brightly in windows.
But atheists, who do not believe in the existence of any deity, have
found ways to look at the bright side of the onslaught of religiosity
during this holiday season. And for atheists, who make up an estimated
11 percent of the American population, December's not such a bad thing.
Many atheists, who came to atheism later in life, grew up in homes where
Christmas or Hanukkah was celebrated and see the holidays as a time to
simply be with family. Others have their own December rituals, including
celebrating the winter solstice -- the shortest day of the year, which
was yesterday.
"I usually go with my family and we do the Christmas tree," said Jose
Morales, 45, a Manhattan researcher and "agnostic leaning toward
atheist."
Morales said that except for an occasional prayer, the experience is
mostly about family.
"We don't beat each other over the head with this stuff," he said.
Sean Malone, an atheist whose family also celebrates Christmas, complete
with a special Christmas Eve meal featuring foods from a different
country each year, said he prefers to view Christmas in a historical
context -- as a winter celebration with pagan influences.
"It's a lovely time to be with your family, your friends, and to have a
party when the weather's really bad," said Malone, 23, a graduate
student studying music at New York University who calls himself a
lifelong atheist.
Some atheists, like Gerry Dantone of East Northport, have their own
celebrations during this time of year.
"We do celebrate the solstice," Dantone said.
His house features a "solstice tree," and he and his wife gave their two
children, ages 12 and 14, solstice gifts.
Dantone also identifies himself as an agnostic and a humanist, a group
that adheres to a nonreligious moral and ethical code.
He said his organization, the Center for Inquiry, Long Island Community,
held a winter celebration this year at the Plainview public library.
For Josh Karpf, founder of New York City Atheists, there's definitely a
bright side to this time of year.
"The food is absolutely fantastic around the religious holidays," Karpf
said.
The 40-year-old Brooklyn resident said he thinks most atheists don't
have a problem with the holidays.
"Some get curmudgeonly and Grinchy about the commercial pop-culture
omnipresence of religion this time of year, but religious people
complain just as much about repetitive songs and crowds," Karpf said.
Morales said he takes the holidays in stride.
"Why get offended at something that is super-prevalent and that people
have the right to do?" he asked.
If there's one thing that does bother Karpf about the holidays, it's
that the good tidings seem to get packed away with the tinsel come
January.
"It seems that being good to each other and doing good work shouldn't be
limited to just this holiday period," Karpf said.
Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.
---
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-liath1222,0,957879.story?
track=rss
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
-Voltaire
Contact - Throw a .net over the .com
I am an Atheist and I dont find anything difficult concerning a day off
from the office. You simply need to be able to turn the channel to
avoid watching the ridiculous Charlton Heston movies they throw at us
this time of year. I find the "Christmas" lights to be quite a nice
change in the scenary at this time of year. Whatever they call it, or
whatever it means to somebody else, is irrelevent to me. Holidays,
vaction days etc. are neccessary for many reasons, mostly so working
people can have a sanity break.
I am tired of everyone telling me how difficult it is to be an Atheist.
I cant help but feel that these posts are somebodys idea of reaching
out to those that have separated ourselves from what the religious
majority believes to be normal. I have no need for such coddling and
frankly niether do most Atheists that I know. We dare to be
independent. We do as we please. We take responsibility for our own
actions. We judge ourselves.
Thats Freedom...the holidays will never hold me hostage.
.
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| User: "johac" |
|
| Title: Re: Atheists' happy non-holidays |
23 Dec 2006 01:01:25 AM |
|
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In article <1166778375.860852.22040@h40g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
"Merovingian" <BellaCasa_321@msn.com> wrote:
johac wrote:
How atheists cope with this time of year.
---
Atheists' happy non-holidays
BY JENNIFER BARRIOS
Newsday Staff Writer
December 22, 2006
It's hard for an atheist to escape the holidays.
Christmas carols play in the local drugstores, and Christmas lights hang
across storefronts and from the branches of front-yard evergreens.
Hanukkah menorahs burn brightly in windows.
But atheists, who do not believe in the existence of any deity, have
found ways to look at the bright side of the onslaught of religiosity
during this holiday season. And for atheists, who make up an estimated
11 percent of the American population, December's not such a bad thing.
Many atheists, who came to atheism later in life, grew up in homes where
Christmas or Hanukkah was celebrated and see the holidays as a time to
simply be with family. Others have their own December rituals, including
celebrating the winter solstice -- the shortest day of the year, which
was yesterday.
"I usually go with my family and we do the Christmas tree," said Jose
Morales, 45, a Manhattan researcher and "agnostic leaning toward
atheist."
Morales said that except for an occasional prayer, the experience is
mostly about family.
"We don't beat each other over the head with this stuff," he said.
Sean Malone, an atheist whose family also celebrates Christmas, complete
with a special Christmas Eve meal featuring foods from a different
country each year, said he prefers to view Christmas in a historical
context -- as a winter celebration with pagan influences.
"It's a lovely time to be with your family, your friends, and to have a
party when the weather's really bad," said Malone, 23, a graduate
student studying music at New York University who calls himself a
lifelong atheist.
Some atheists, like Gerry Dantone of East Northport, have their own
celebrations during this time of year.
"We do celebrate the solstice," Dantone said.
His house features a "solstice tree," and he and his wife gave their two
children, ages 12 and 14, solstice gifts.
Dantone also identifies himself as an agnostic and a humanist, a group
that adheres to a nonreligious moral and ethical code.
He said his organization, the Center for Inquiry, Long Island Community,
held a winter celebration this year at the Plainview public library.
For Josh Karpf, founder of New York City Atheists, there's definitely a
bright side to this time of year.
"The food is absolutely fantastic around the religious holidays," Karpf
said.
The 40-year-old Brooklyn resident said he thinks most atheists don't
have a problem with the holidays.
"Some get curmudgeonly and Grinchy about the commercial pop-culture
omnipresence of religion this time of year, but religious people
complain just as much about repetitive songs and crowds," Karpf said.
Morales said he takes the holidays in stride.
"Why get offended at something that is super-prevalent and that people
have the right to do?" he asked.
If there's one thing that does bother Karpf about the holidays, it's
that the good tidings seem to get packed away with the tinsel come
January.
"It seems that being good to each other and doing good work shouldn't be
limited to just this holiday period," Karpf said.
Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.
---
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-liath1222,0,957879.story?
track=rss
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
-Voltaire
Contact - Throw a .net over the .com
I am an Atheist and I dont find anything difficult concerning a day off
from the office. You simply need to be able to turn the channel to
avoid watching the ridiculous Charlton Heston movies they throw at us
this time of year. I find the "Christmas" lights to be quite a nice
change in the scenary at this time of year. Whatever they call it, or
whatever it means to somebody else, is irrelevent to me. Holidays,
vaction days etc. are neccessary for many reasons, mostly so working
people can have a sanity break.
That's how I always treated this time of year. Time off from work.
Parties. Family get togethers and the like.
I am tired of everyone telling me how difficult it is to be an Atheist.
I cant help but feel that these posts are somebodys idea of reaching
out to those that have separated ourselves from what the religious
majority believes to be normal. I have no need for such coddling and
frankly niether do most Atheists that I know. We dare to be
independent. We do as we please. We take responsibility for our own
actions. We judge ourselves.
Thats Freedom...the holidays will never hold me hostage.
Christmas doesn't bother me. It has become, like Thanksgiving, a mostly
secular holiday. The only thing that has annoyed me in recent years are
these Christian rightists and their silly "War on Christmas" rhetoric. I
don't give a damn how they celebrate their holidays as long as they
leave the rest of us alone.
You don't have to be religious to enjoy the parties.
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
-Voltaire
Contact - Throw a .net over the .com
.
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| User: "Ghod" |
|
| Title: Re: Atheists' happy non-holidays |
22 Dec 2006 01:39:21 PM |
|
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johac wrote:
How atheists cope with this time of year.
---
Atheists' happy non-holidays
BY JENNIFER BARRIOS
Newsday Staff Writer
December 22, 2006
It's hard for an atheist to escape the holidays.
Christmas carols play in the local drugstores, and Christmas lights hang
across storefronts and from the branches of front-yard evergreens.
Hanukkah menorahs burn brightly in windows.
Funny, I haven't been seeing so much of that crap this year. It could
be a form of hysterical blindness, or something, I guess.
But atheists, who do not believe in the existence of any deity, have
found ways to look at the bright side of the onslaught of religiosity
during this holiday season. And for atheists, who make up an estimated
11 percent of the American population, December's not such a bad thing.
I have to agree. We'll probably go get some more food, then settle back
and enjoy various ingestibles and enjoyables.
Many atheists, who came to atheism later in life, grew up in homes where
Christmas or Hanukkah was celebrated and see the holidays as a time to
simply be with family. Others have their own December rituals, including
celebrating the winter solstice -- the shortest day of the year, which
was yesterday.
Missed again. Someone told me it was today...you just can't trust
people anymore.
"I usually go with my family and we do the Christmas tree," said Jose
Morales, 45, a Manhattan researcher and "agnostic leaning toward
atheist."
Sadly, the image this brings to mind isn't all that pleasant. A bit
comical, true, but just not...pleasant.
Morales said that except for an occasional prayer, the experience is
mostly about family.
"We don't beat each other over the head with this stuff," he said.
You might like it, if you tried it. Or not.
[snipped yawn]
If there's one thing that does bother Karpf about the holidays, it's
that the good tidings seem to get packed away with the tinsel come
January.
"It seems that being good to each other and doing good work shouldn't be
limited to just this holiday period," Karpf said.
It's a good reason to not make a big deal about it. For many people,
the xmas seasonal emotional purge gets them through the following year.
I don't get seasonal depression, and I find that spreading goodwill
year in and year out makes life much better in general.
.
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| User: "johac" |
|
| Title: Re: Atheists' happy non-holidays |
23 Dec 2006 12:55:04 AM |
|
|
In article <JvWih.27166$Ga1.1273@newssvr12.news.prodigy.net>,
Ghod <ghod@ameritech.net> wrote:
johac wrote:
How atheists cope with this time of year.
---
Atheists' happy non-holidays
BY JENNIFER BARRIOS
Newsday Staff Writer
December 22, 2006
It's hard for an atheist to escape the holidays.
Christmas carols play in the local drugstores, and Christmas lights hang
across storefronts and from the branches of front-yard evergreens.
Hanukkah menorahs burn brightly in windows.
Funny, I haven't been seeing so much of that crap this year. It could
be a form of hysterical blindness, or something, I guess.
The stores around my way play a lot of secular music like 'frosty' or
'Winter Wonderland'.
But atheists, who do not believe in the existence of any deity, have
found ways to look at the bright side of the onslaught of religiosity
during this holiday season. And for atheists, who make up an estimated
11 percent of the American population, December's not such a bad thing.
I have to agree. We'll probably go get some more food, then settle back
and enjoy various ingestibles and enjoyables.
That's good any time of year. :-)
Many atheists, who came to atheism later in life, grew up in homes where
Christmas or Hanukkah was celebrated and see the holidays as a time to
simply be with family. Others have their own December rituals, including
celebrating the winter solstice -- the shortest day of the year, which
was yesterday.
Missed again. Someone told me it was today...you just can't trust
people anymore.
For me it was early in the morning today (the 22nd) so I celebrated for
fixing myself a good dinner.
"I usually go with my family and we do the Christmas tree," said Jose
Morales, 45, a Manhattan researcher and "agnostic leaning toward
atheist."
Sadly, the image this brings to mind isn't all that pleasant. A bit
comical, true, but just not...pleasant.
Morales said that except for an occasional prayer, the experience is
mostly about family.
"We don't beat each other over the head with this stuff," he said.
You might like it, if you tried it. Or not.
[snipped yawn]
If there's one thing that does bother Karpf about the holidays, it's
that the good tidings seem to get packed away with the tinsel come
January.
"It seems that being good to each other and doing good work shouldn't be
limited to just this holiday period," Karpf said.
It's a good reason to not make a big deal about it. For many people,
the xmas seasonal emotional purge gets them through the following year.
I don't get seasonal depression, and I find that spreading goodwill
year in and year out makes life much better in general.
Agree. Still celebrations once in a while are not bad. They don't need
to be religiously motivated.
--
John Hachmann aa #1782
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
-Voltaire
Contact - Throw a .net over the .com
.
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