If you look at history or reality through religious eyes, you are already losing before you begin. It’s like saying you will only consider history as it relates to the interaction of faeries.
That isn’t to say that religion/superstition/belief in faeries hasn’t had an impact, just that the impact they have had is a dead-end road. It will show you how people (fail to) think; not the structure of the universe.
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I pick on the silliness of the Christians for trying to take over the Winter solstice holiday as their own, but that’s not the only silliness out there.
The “New Year” is another winter solstice event that has drifted from the original, and more logical, date.
I think I may start ignoring all the stupidity and just celebrate the solstice and make it the beginning of my new year too.
Wouldn’t that make more sense? Move January 1st to the Winter Solstice, and have a week-long party every year at this time.
I’m in!
It’s that time of the year again. The time around the winter solstice- important enough to primitive humans that they seem to have all made some sort of celebration tied to it.
And we, their descendants, have forgotten the reason the celebrations were begun. The actual, real, ORIGINAL “reason for the season“.
So this also means that I have begun seeing the annual messages posted online that say something to the effect of “I will have a CHRISTMAS tree, not a ‘holiday tree’. I will say ‘Merry Christmas’, not ‘happy holidays’, etc, etc.”
OK… congratulations, I guess. What’s the big deal, and who says you can’t say that?
Christians seem to see themselves as under attack for preferring to say “Christmas” rather than anything else, but the thing is, I have never seen anyone other than Christians being offended by what anyone chooses to say at this time of year.
No one is trying to prevent anyone from saying “Christmas tree” or to force them to use the term “Holiday Tree”. Christians aren’t being persecuted for saying “Merry Christmas”, but they most certainly are advocating the persecution of anyone who says anything else.
“Christmas” is the most common name for the winter solstice holiday at this point in history, so it is how I will usually refer to this season. The underlying story is not true, but I don’t have to believe in fairy tales to say “Christmas” just like I don’t have to worship Norse gods to say “Thursday“.
So, Christians, chill out. You’re only hurting yourselves with your brittleness.
When you drop a ball, do you consider it a miracle when , after falling halfway to the ground, it continues to fall until it reaches the ground?
No?
Well, that is exactly the sort of things people rave over as “miraculous”.
Things like “the miracle of birth” are simply normal, natural events that were already in motion continuing on. That doesn’t mean they aren’t sometimes wonderful. It just means no supernatural intervention is necessary to explain them.
In fact supernatural intervention would be suspected if some of these natural events didn’t occur. At least, suspected by those who believe in a supernatural realm. If I dropped a ball and it only fell half way to the ground, then stopped in mid-air, I would suspect trickery or a natural phenomenon that I couldn’t see, and I would investigate. I wouldn’t think “god did it”.
And this is how knowledge is gained. Supernatural thinking leads to the death of the mind.
Let’s say you are a parent with a bunch of kids. Your first-born eventually disagrees with the way you run the family, and some of his younger siblings agree with him. So, you kick them all out of the house and throw them all in a snake pit you dug especially for that purpose. But, you let them sneak out from time to time to talk to the youngest siblings who are still undecided. Most of those end up siding with the oldest brother, because, let’s face it, you are insane and everyone who is rational can see that. So all those in the youngest group who don’t agree with you 100% you end up throwing in the snake pit, where they can never leave. Eventually you make sure all those who disagree with you, the oldest kid, his original supporters and most of the younger kids (who were born long after the original schism occurred) are sealed into the pit forever.
As a parent you would be a failure. And evil. That doesn’t mean your oldest son is necessarily a good guy; he is probably just as bad as you, since the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. But you certainly have no claim to being the definition of “good”.
Such it is with the Christian notion of “God”. If he actually existed, and behaved as the Bible says he did, he would be a much better depiction of evil than of good. He would be an insanely abusive parent, worthy of scorn and derision. Not worthy of worship or veneration. Unless you are just as evil as he is.
It is much better to realize it is all a poorly written fairy tale, not anything close to reality.
Penn Jillette has written his ideas for the Ten Commandments for atheists.
Nice work, Penn!
One thing I particularly like about the list is that they all apply to people dealing with other people. The biblical Ten Commandments wasted the first five on telling people how to behave toward their imaginary friend. That doesn’t help anyone other than the mouthpieces for that imaginary friend.
If I tried to write my own Ten Commandments, they would probably not differ significantly from Penn’s effort.
Here they are, copied from the site linked above:
1. The highest ideals are human intelligence, creativity and love. Respect these above all.
2. Do not put things or even ideas above other human beings. (Let’s scream at each other about Kindle versus iPad, solar versus nuclear, Republican versus Libertarian, Garth Brooks versus Sun Ra— but when your house is on fire, I’ll be there to help.)
3. Say what you mean, even when talking to yourself. (What used to be an oath to (G)od is now quite simply respecting yourself.)
4. Put aside some time to rest and think. (If you’re religious, that might be the Sabbath; if you’re a Vegas magician, that’ll be the day with the lowest grosses.)
5. Be there for your family. Love your parents, your partner, and your children. (Love is deeper than honor, and parents matter, but so do spouse and children.)
6. Respect and protect all human life. (Many believe that “Thou shalt not kill” only refers to people in the same tribe. I say it’s all human life.)
7. Keep your promises. (If you can’t be sexually exclusive to your spouse, don’t make that deal.)
8. Don’t steal. (This includes magic tricks and jokes — you know who you are!)
9. Don’t lie. (You know, unless you’re doing magic tricks and it’s part of your job. Does that make it OK for politicians, too?)
10. Don’t waste too much time wishing, hoping, and being envious; it’ll make you bugnutty.
I get really, really tired of seeing supposedly rational atheists being total suck-ups to the state.
It’s embarrassing.
They should know better. The state is just another god and they look ridiculous rejecting one god and worshiping another. Grow up, people. Sheesh!
It’s the time of the year when the supernatural becomes a fun thing to pretend. It still isn’t real, but it’s nice to suspend disbelief in the cause of a good scare. Like watching a movie.
Which brings to mind witches.
I have known several people who claimed to believe they were witches- some were specifically practitioners of Wicca.
Well, even if I hadn’t observed it first-hand I could have still told the Big Secret: Witchcraft doesn’t work, exactly like Christianity doesn’t work. But they (claim to) believe it does. Just like Christians claim to believe about their own religion.
Both are empty delusions. To argue over who is a “true witch” or a “real Christian” is meaningless. What you see is what you get. There is nothing more. No matter how strong their faith is the real-world results are the same. Some positive psychological effects and confirmation bias can account for everything.
So, both are silly but most witches I have personally met are nicer than most Christians I have met. Maybe it’s because witches say they believe that whatever you do will come back to you multiplied by 3. Maybe Christians would be nicer if they believed that, too.
Should you teach your children to fit in with the prevailing culture even when you know it’s a lie? Is it more abusive to lie to your child, or to teach them the truth that makes them a black sheep?
Statism is a lie. So is Christianity (and ALL religion/superstition). But anyone who isn’t immersed in those lies is an outcast. I know. It has been the story of my life. So, which is worse?
This has nothing to do with anything. It’s just a thought I had.
I should invent and market “Tough Sh*t” trash bags.
“They’re tough but if they rip, well… Tough sh*t!”
