Don't Get Me Wrong, Some Of My Best Friends Are Atheists

In this article by Ophelia at Butterflies and Wheels, we were just discussing some Christians in Britain complaining about illusionary infringements on their rights to ban homosexuals from sharing hotels owned by Christians, eating at restaurants owned by Christians, or doing anything remotely gay within 'Christian territory.' First it's "no fags" and "no atheists" in the store window. How long until there's the "no fags" water fountain and the "no fags" bathrooms, and locker rooms, and what else? Coercion of liberties is always the first step towards the stripping of rights. In the comments thread, I talk about the alleged 'fairness' and 'goodness' of the rights these Christians think they should be protecting by enacting Christian-centric laws, and user Cathal Copeland thinks I was arguing against the existence of those rights. It is true that a shop owner can refuse service to any person for any reason. But when that right is not being infringed upon but there is legislation that goes some extra mile to 'protect' it, then in reality it is enforcing it.

History is the subject most people fail, especially Christians. For centuries, Easter was THE high holy event celebrated by Christians. Christmas was a minor holiday in which a mass was said for the titular child, which as we have noted previously, fell during the long established randy winter solstace festival dates. Christmas has been banned by the church several times in history (as well as coffeee and musical instruments, but that's another story) for much the same reasons that so many fundamentalists are up in arms today; namely that people imbibe in a lot of secular spirit laden merriment and (libidinal) frivolity that has nothing to do with Mass or the baby Jeebus.

I still wish people "Merry Christmas" just as I say "bless you" when someone sneezes and I am not offended when I am greeted with this in return. However, should some start to proselytize, the gloves are off...
As atheists, hard agnostics or humanists we realize that much of this is simply cultural rhetoric and we don't care if it's "Merry Christmas","Happy Holidays", "Have a Killer Kwaanza" or "Chappy Chanukka"; the expressions are simply cordial and polite greetings like "How are you?"; we don't intend a literal interpretation. (Also by inversion, I don't actually want to have sexual congress with someone when telling him/her "f--k you!" or the ever popular "blow me".)
This seasonal greeting brouhaha has become a ridiculous propagandistic device by fundamentalists to imply that we cower like vampires before a crucifix if "Christmas" is ever mentioned, and that we seek to destroy all religions because that is our evil purpose: to keep people from the "truth"("truthiness?") of "god(s).

Proselytizers and piously religious people can be pains in the ass to us, and they can represent politcal hurdles and hardships; however, we, as those who recognise all gods and religions as man-made constructs, -we are a threat to their false syllogisms, flawed reasoning and superstitious ideologies. We force them to hear that dissonance between what is natural/real/actual and what is imagined/supernatural/false and they see us as synbols who undermine their lives and dogmatic principles. The house that mythos built is always buckling at the foundations and has a leaky roof.
In their minds, all they have to do is endure to the end of this life and then the finally good times will stretch on into infinity in a world that we declare does not and cannot exist.
To want to be accepted by these believers as just another part of society with different point of view is unrealistic; our lack of belief in their god(s) and dogma, make us very real nemeses from their point of view even if we insist we just want to co-exist equally and peacefully. We can live with them but they won't live with us. Heretics are unforgivable in all religions. Deal with it.

In a very urgent sense though, we need to understand how important it is to keep our government from becoming a (more) theocratic institution. This is why we must be vigilant in defeating laws that discrimminate FOR Christian beliefs.(The " Judeos" of the Judeo/Christian God hyphen are many times left out in the cold in the theocratization of America) Hindus, Wiccans, Muslim and other sects are just as marginalized as those who do not possess religious beliefs, so they have a very real stake in this too; we all know politics makes strange bed fellows.
I personally don't care what anyone believes as long as they understand my ideology (or lack of one) should be considered as valid as theirs... and I don't have to listen again to their moronic dogma. Merry Christmas you ol' fellow heathens.

Eh. theres bigger issues than some ass saying merry christmas. I just tell them to have a Happy Kwanza and walk away, Im not black so this usually confuses them. Then again people who are "offended" by happy holiday are usually pretty easy to confuse. speaking of offended, anyone who claims to be offended by happy holiday (this writer said they weren't but that implys that some people are) have probably never really been offended in their lives. if someone wishing you a nice day is offensive then you lead a very very sheltered life.

Don't get me wrong, I know several Jewish and Muslim individuals and I will tell them "Happy Holidays" out of respect for their religious beliefs, but for the atheists, Merry Christmas.

Wait, I thought that one of the major arguing points of the godders was that Atheism *is* a religion, or at least an equivalent belief system...

Jim Downey

"Sometimes I think we're alone. Sometimes I think we're not. In either case, the thought is staggering."
- R. Buckminster Fuller