Comments on: An Atheist at Christmas http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/ Words unRead Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:46:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: My Semblance of Sanity http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-15500 My Semblance of Sanity Thu, 03 Jan 2008 07:18:50 +0000 http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/#comment-15500 Thank you for treating this post with repect and calm. I appreciated what you had to say and also appreciated your honesty and peace in the way you stated it. Many atheists are VERY angry...at least those I have come in contact with. Happy New Year! Thank you for treating this post with repect and calm. I appreciated what you had to say and also appreciated your honesty and peace in the way you stated it.
Many atheists are VERY angry…at least those I have come in contact with.
Happy New Year!

]]> By: BusyDad http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-15239 BusyDad Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:06:35 +0000 http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/#comment-15239 Very very well put. I consider myself from the church of "I have no clue." I don't want to throw blind faith in something so intangible, yet I feel that on the other side of the coin, I can't throw 100% faith in the fact that something/someone DOESN'T exist. I am perfectly happy knowing that I don't know and don't seek to know. I am moral for its own merits. I love my fellow human being because it makes me happy to do so. I treat people fairly and with respect because that is how I would like to be treated. My wife is catholic and I too don't mind her taking the reigns in my son's spiritual upbringing. My only rule is "no Catholic School." I want my son to see religion as a personal, private choice - not a curriculum. Great blog... found you by way of Missives from Suburbia. She really got you with that gingerbread house eh? haha. Very very well put. I consider myself from the church of “I have no clue.” I don’t want to throw blind faith in something so intangible, yet I feel that on the other side of the coin, I can’t throw 100% faith in the fact that something/someone DOESN’T exist. I am perfectly happy knowing that I don’t know and don’t seek to know. I am moral for its own merits. I love my fellow human being because it makes me happy to do so. I treat people fairly and with respect because that is how I would like to be treated. My wife is catholic and I too don’t mind her taking the reigns in my son’s spiritual upbringing. My only rule is “no Catholic School.” I want my son to see religion as a personal, private choice – not a curriculum. Great blog… found you by way of Missives from Suburbia. She really got you with that gingerbread house eh? haha.

]]> By: holly http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-15161 holly Thu, 13 Dec 2007 19:27:36 +0000 http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/#comment-15161 this is what i believe in firmly. i believe in whatever gets me a few days off work. if tomorrow someone makes blistonia day a holiday? i am SOOO goin' blistonian. unless they chop up bread and make you eat it to symbolize blistonia and the sacrifice all the fish on that planet made for us. i mean, i'm just not that thankful for that. but the great thing i think about being blistonian? no one else has to believe. in *fact* the fewer that believe, the better. more space in croc-croc (their version of heaven). okay, i shall lay off the eggnog long enough to say great post. :) this is what i believe in firmly. i believe in whatever gets me a few days off work. if tomorrow someone makes blistonia day a holiday? i am SOOO goin’ blistonian. unless they chop up bread and make you eat it to symbolize blistonia and the sacrifice all the fish on that planet made for us. i mean, i’m just not that thankful for that.

but the great thing i think about being blistonian? no one else has to believe. in *fact* the fewer that believe, the better. more space in croc-croc (their version of heaven).

okay, i shall lay off the eggnog long enough to say great post. :)

]]> By: christine http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-15140 christine Thu, 13 Dec 2007 02:28:03 +0000 http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/#comment-15140 thanks for such a thought-provoking post. I for one am impressed with the positive and open tone of your article as well as the comments listed here. it's refreshing to find such a tolerant crew. happy holidys to all, in any and all forms. thanks for such a thought-provoking post. I for one am impressed with the positive and open tone of your article as well as the comments listed here. it’s refreshing to find such a tolerant crew. happy holidys to all, in any and all forms.

]]> By: Avery http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-15124 Avery Wed, 12 Dec 2007 03:52:26 +0000 http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/#comment-15124 We have a tree, we get together with family, buy lots of gifts that will take several months to pay off... You know, the usual. And might I just say, I think it's wonderful that you celebrate Christmas with your family, even if you don't believe in the "reason for the season". It really is a time for togetherness and reflection, and that can't be half bad for anyone. Merry Christmas, Dan! We have a tree, we get together with family, buy lots of gifts that will take several months to pay off… You know, the usual.

And might I just say, I think it’s wonderful that you celebrate Christmas with your family, even if you don’t believe in the “reason for the season”. It really is a time for togetherness and reflection, and that can’t be half bad for anyone.

Merry Christmas, Dan!

]]> By: sophie http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-15122 sophie Wed, 12 Dec 2007 01:18:44 +0000 http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/#comment-15122 The point about "good Christians" and "good atheists" is such a good one. I grow weary of the concept that morality must be related to religion. I know I am a good person--even though I am Catholic by birth (with 6 years of school with nuns) and a recovering born again conservative baptist now technically agnostic but leaning towards atheist. I'm getting my pagan christmas tree this week, and wrapping most of my presents tonight. Tradition and family are good things, no matter how they came about. Thanks for the thoughtful post. The point about “good Christians” and “good atheists” is such a good one. I grow weary of the concept that morality must be related to religion. I know I am a good person–even though I am Catholic by birth (with 6 years of school with nuns) and a recovering born again conservative baptist now technically agnostic but leaning towards atheist.

I’m getting my pagan christmas tree this week, and wrapping most of my presents tonight. Tradition and family are good things, no matter how they came about.

Thanks for the thoughtful post.

]]> By: ender http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-15118 ender Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:25:27 +0000 http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/#comment-15118 bravo to you, dan, for posting this and staying so calmly rational. my own beliefs about god are kinda out in left field and so many people don't understand how i can go to church most every week and still claim that god as a being does not exist. for me, that's because i found a place where i'm accepted for me and the service doesn't ask for blind faith, but for thoughtfulness instead. i can really relate to a lot of your points in this post. thank you so much for writing it and writing it so well. and to dorid - i don't think that jodi did equate wicca to all paganism. looked to me like it was a combination of pagan and wiccan, which makes sense ... wicca does fall under the usual definitions for pagan, but there is more under the umbrella of pagan than just wicca. and the original reasons for moving christmas to its current date had to do with several pagan religions, including wicca. From Wikipedia: Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller, rustic") is a term which, from a Western perspective, has come to connote a broad set of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion, and of historical and contemporary polytheistic religions in particular. The term can be defined broadly, to encompass the faith traditions outside the Abrahamic monotheistic group of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. .... The term "pagan" is a Christian adaptation of the "gentile" of Judaism, and as such has an inherent Christian or Abrahamic bias, and pejorative connotations among Westerners, comparable to heathen, and infidel, mushrik and kafir (كافر) in Islam. bravo to you, dan, for posting this and staying so calmly rational. my own beliefs about god are kinda out in left field and so many people don’t understand how i can go to church most every week and still claim that god as a being does not exist. for me, that’s because i found a place where i’m accepted for me and the service doesn’t ask for blind faith, but for thoughtfulness instead. i can really relate to a lot of your points in this post. thank you so much for writing it and writing it so well.

and to dorid – i don’t think that jodi did equate wicca to all paganism. looked to me like it was a combination of pagan and wiccan, which makes sense … wicca does fall under the usual definitions for pagan, but there is more under the umbrella of pagan than just wicca. and the original reasons for moving christmas to its current date had to do with several pagan religions, including wicca.

From Wikipedia: Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning “country dweller, rustic”) is a term which, from a Western perspective, has come to connote a broad set of spiritual or cultic practices or beliefs of any folk religion, and of historical and contemporary polytheistic religions in particular.

The term can be defined broadly, to encompass the faith traditions outside the Abrahamic monotheistic group of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. ….

The term “pagan” is a Christian adaptation of the “gentile” of Judaism, and as such has an inherent Christian or Abrahamic bias, and pejorative connotations among Westerners, comparable to heathen, and infidel, mushrik and kafir (كافر) in Islam.

]]> By: Kristina http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-15116 Kristina Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:53:49 +0000 http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/#comment-15116 Merry Christmas Dan!! As a single girl in So Cal my "Christmas traditions" have changed drastically. What I do love is giggling at the people who inflate snowmen in their front yard when it's 70 degrees out, watching Christmas Vacation, attempts at stealing the baby jesus from the neighbors yard, and my dread of trekking home to Seattle. Merry Christmas Dan!!

As a single girl in So Cal my “Christmas traditions” have changed drastically. What I do love is giggling at the people who inflate snowmen in their front yard when it’s 70 degrees out, watching Christmas Vacation, attempts at stealing the baby jesus from the neighbors yard, and my dread of trekking home to Seattle.

]]> By: Daisy http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-15100 Daisy Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:33:27 +0000 http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/#comment-15100 People do not *stop* being Catholic, as they do not stop being Jews. Just my opinion. It is a cultural thing, and often transcends "religion". As with Jews, it is also an outlook, habits, ethnicity, history; a whole way one approaches life. --slack, new age cultural Catholic :) People do not *stop* being Catholic, as they do not stop being Jews. Just my opinion. It is a cultural thing, and often transcends “religion”. As with Jews, it is also an outlook, habits, ethnicity, history; a whole way one approaches life.

–slack, new age cultural Catholic :)

]]> By: MommyCosm http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/comment-page-1/#comment-15092 MommyCosm Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:42:22 +0000 http://www.cafeleone.net/2007/12/09/an-atheist-at-christmas/#comment-15092 AMEN;) I was never baptized, went to 12 years of Catholic school while attending Baptist and Congregational Sunday Schools and Bible Camps. My daughter is in kindergarten at our local Catholic school only because our public school is a very scary place. I'm not really an Atheist, probably more of a Deitist...I believe in something, but not in the traditional "God" sense...and definitely am not a fan of organized religion. Just had a debate about the bible issue...I agree with you 150%. Yet, I still celebrate Christmas...oh, and Easter. Go figure. I believe in family and traditions and spreading positive energy by paying it forward. Oh, and I like giving and getting presents, why would I stop celebrating something that involves presents?! AMEN;)

I was never baptized, went to 12 years of Catholic school while attending Baptist and Congregational Sunday Schools and Bible Camps.

My daughter is in kindergarten at our local Catholic school only because our public school is a very scary place.

I’m not really an Atheist, probably more of a Deitist…I believe in something, but not in the traditional “God” sense…and definitely am not a fan of organized religion. Just had a debate about the bible issue…I agree with you 150%.

Yet, I still celebrate Christmas…oh, and Easter. Go figure. I believe in family and traditions and spreading positive energy by paying it forward. Oh, and I like giving and getting presents, why would I stop celebrating something that involves presents?!

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