I know that many do generally because they always have and don’t want to change. Some even say that it should be replaced by a more inclusive, general holiday. Part of me feels that all such holidays should be ignored by atheists altogether.  A more humane holiday should be global and universal, equally relevant to all humans, regardless of their cultural heritage or where they live.

The idea that xmas is a purely christian holiday is actually a myth perpetuated by the majority that happen to actually be christians. (link to post on this here) Many atheists don’t believe that Jesus existed, and those who do don’t regard him as having been anyone special. No atheists are christians, so why bother participating in such a holiday? It’s arguable that participating makes christianity seem more popular than it really is, not to mention giving christians an unjustified ego boost.

                I feel that atheists celebrating xmas can often cause more harm than good by arming conservative evangelical christians with the perceived argument that America is essentially a christian nation. The more popular and important christian holidays are in America, the easier it is to claim that there is something about christianity which is fundamental to America’s culture. It’s not a very good argument and this isn’t very good support for it, but why offer them even this bit of help?

Long ago I lost the struggle being an atheist parent who celebrates xmas, weather or not to perpetuate the Santa Claus myth. This required me to lie to my kids. Yes, it is a lie. There’s not a nicer way of describing what one does when telling small children that Santa Claus visits every house on the planet delivering presents to children via a flying sleigh pulled by “magic” ruminants.  If I had it to do it over I would have left this out of my children’s lives Aside from the joy of engrossing oneself in pure fantasy I find no value in it. In fact in many ways I feel it may even be a mild form of indoctrination.  There are always very strong incentives to do what other parents are doing. Not celebrating xmas and not telling kids about Santa could have caused my children to be ostracized from others above and beyond what simply being an atheist tends to do already.  At the same time, though, the numbers of religious minorities who also don’t participate are increasing, thus increasing the numbers of kids who are “different.” Being different isn’t easy, but who wants to be a hypocrite just to fit in?

One possible reason for atheists to celebrate xmas is that it has become increasingly secularized over time and there is little sign of the process stopping soon. Arguments against xmas remain, but atheist participation in xmas actually helps serve the cause of removing it from its various christian and pagan roots. There are good reasons why many christians are upset over the current state of christmas, and those may be good reasons for atheists to keep the changes in motion.

Some folks will read this and think it is an attack on a cherished holiday. Others may take away that I am a hard-line non- conformist that wants to openly besmirch christianity in general.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  I enjoy all the pagan, secular aspects of the holiday.  I just don’t like the feeling of being under fire that comes along with its observance.

Related posts:

1. It’s the Most Ignorant Time of the year
2. Valen-SHMUCKS-Day
3. Santa’s Arch Enemy?

   I struggle every day, in a world that surrounds me with xstians not to become that “angry atheist” that causes their friends to leave the room or scares the children spouting off the facts they have never heard from their parents.  It is such a seriously hard line to walk.  I love all my friends and I don’t want to loose any of them.  I just hope every time I wade into the realm of debate with them that I don’t wind up alienating them.  On the other hand, I am not one that will back down from said debate.  I have very strong beliefs based on fact and reason.

    It’s tough when you live in a world with folks that are obviously intelligent and yet they pursue causes out of ritual or habit. People that no longer question the why of the world or want to know the truths all around them. People that you might see as incredible conversationalists or thinkers yet they choose to overlook obvious inconsistencies in logic and reason. Tough, living with the realization that these otherwise brilliant people will never change their minds, no matter how much science or proof you draw to their attention. Its super easy to become that angry, profane individual when you feel like you are screaming at the top of your lungs that the world is round not flat, and no one will listen to you.

…oh wait, that’s another story, isn’t it?

    Life is all just a matter of perceptions.  Some people think the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, when in fact, the sun never moves at all.

Related posts:

1. Facebook as a Real Social Metaphore
2. Environmental Dissonance
3. Flowchart of a Dogs Mind at the Park

    I find that living in the “Bible” belt means I frequently have to defend my lifestyle, or beliefs.  I know I really should move, I just love it a lot here.  Its too bad that folks can’t be more open minded.  Most of the defenses I tend to have to wade through are due to problems with the lines of thinking taught around here.  Most college professors would define these as Logical Fallacies. 

   We use logical fallacies in casual conversation all the time. Using analogy comes naturally to most people. Poor analogies are as common as mud. Really solid analogies are few and far between. Someone using a fallacy isn’t necessarily using it maliciously or purposefully. Sometimes people mistake bad arguments for good arguments, and while it’s certainly proper to correct them, please don’t jump to the conclusion that they’re deliberately trying to mislead people, whether they’re an atheist or a theist.

The Straw Man:
A Straw Man is the misrepresentation or over-simplification of a position, making it easier to attack as opposed to dealing with the real argument. By knocking down the straw man (get it, straw men are much easier to knock down than real men?), they appear to have “won” the argument, when they’ve actually argued against a misrepresentation.

Examples:

“People who believe in God are just brainwashed and delusional.”
“Atheists are so skeptical that they won’t believe anything at all, no matter how much evidence there is.”

Loaded Question:
A loaded question or “trick question” is a question that presupposes something not in evidence. The most famous example is, “Have you stopped beating your wife?” because it’s quite clear that whether you answer “yes” or “no” you’ve implied that you have been beating your wife in the past.

Argument from Ignorance
An argument from ignorance argues that a claim is true because it has not or cannot be disproved. Russell’s Teapot provides an example of this argument.

Begging the Question
Begging the Questionis similar to a loaded question, in that the argument is already supposing its conclusion. I’m stealing my examples from Wikipedia, because they’re quite simple and also kind of hilarious:

“Why am I the boss? It’s because I call the shots around here.”
“Of course I had a reason, or I wouldn’t have done it.”
“I didn’t steal it. I’m no thief!”

False Dilemma/Trilemma/etc.
A false dilemma is a case where two alternative courses/answers are presented as if they are the onlytwo answers possible, when in fact, there are other possible explanations. C.S. Lewis’ famous “Liar, Lunatic or Lord” argument is a very famous false trilemma, presenting only three possibilities for Jesus’ behavior, when there are plenty of other possibilities. Pascal’s Wager also commits this fallacy, presenting atheism and Christianity as the only two belief systems to choose from.

Slippery Slope
A slippery slope fallacy claims that some event or decision would inevitably lead to a far-fetched or extreme end, when there is no logical chain implying that an extreme end would follow. It’s important to note that there are cases where a “slippery slope” actually exists – the difference between the fallacy and the real thing is whether or not there’s a logical chain of events that would lead down the “slope.” A much-used example is the claim that legalizing gay marriage will eventually lead to people gaining the rights to marry their pet fish, or their sofas.

False Analogy
A false analogyis a case where two things are compared that actually have important differences between them, but those differences are ignored and a conclusion is drawn based on the similarities. A good example paraphrased from Wikipedia: “The Sun is yellow. Bananas are yellow. Thus, the sun and bananas have the same mass.” It’s important to note that an analogy might work, to a certain point, but if taken too far, fall into being a false analogy.

No True Scotsman
This fallacy is committed when someone redefines terms based on whether certain undesirable traits might be connected to them. This is probably a poor summary, but I think the original example (from Antony Flew) should serve to illustrate better:

Imagine Hamish McDonald, a Scotsman, sitting down with his Glasgow Morning Herald and seeing an article about how the “Brighton Sex Maniac Strikes Again.” Hamish is shocked and declares that “No Scotsman would do such a thing.” The next day he sits down to read his Glasgow Morning Herald again and this time finds an article about an Aberdeen man whose brutal actions make the Brighton sex maniac seem almost gentlemanly. This fact shows that Hamish was wrong in his opinion but is he going to admit this? Not likely. This time he says, “No true Scotsman would do such a thing.”

Some other fallacies you might want to look up include:
The Texas Sharpshooter
Accident and Converse Accident
Appeals to Consequences
Special Pleading
Appeals to Emotion
Argumentum ad populum

If you enjoy reading this and have an open mind check out The Friendly Atheist.

Related posts:

1. Gloriously Hedonistic Annual Jaunt
2. People usually fake enthusiasm, but not me.

  Ah, the middle finger, also known as the long finger or bird finger, and usually the longest finger, is the third digit of the human hand, located between the index finger and the ring finger. It is also referred to as digitus medius, digitus tertius, “digitus infamous”, or digitus III in anatomy.

    In many Western countries, extending the middle finger (either on its own or along with the index finger in the United Kingdom & Australia) is an offensive and obscene hand gesture, colloquially known as the highway salute, the bird, “flipping the bird”, “flipping someone off”, “giving the finger” (as in giving someone the finger), often meaning the phrase “fuck you” or “up yours.” It is performed by showing the back of the hand, extending the middle finger of the hand upwards while bending the other fingers down into the palm.

    Giving someone “the finger” is one of the basest violations in modern culture, but its origins date back over 2500 years. The first written record of the insult occurred in ancient Greece, where the playwright Aristophanes (the Adam Sandler of his day) made a crude joke in an ancient Greek comedy mixing up the middle finger and the penis. Even back then, the bird was considered an aggressive, phallic put-down.  Greeks began calling upon their substitute wieners by raising their own hands to mock, threaten, and humiliate others.

    The widespread usage of the finger in many cultures is likely due to the geographical influence of the Roman Empire and Greco-Roman civilization.  When the Romans imported the art, music, and culture of the Greeks, the finger came along, too. The Roman Emperor Caligula, a pioneer in perversity, frequently shocked his citizens by forcing them to kiss his middle finger instead of his hand. One of his subjects, Cassius, who Caligula often taunted as being too effeminate, finally had enough humiliation and assassinated him. Clearly, the bird was not to be taken lightly.

     During the Middle Ages, the finger went underground. It was still known, but the Catholic Church frowned upon its use, as the middle finger was supposed to be holy in the Mass. The unholy insult lurked deep within the hearts of filthy- minded folks everywhere, hiding from sight until the 19th century when it began to crop up again thanks to a new invention -photography.

    In 1886, Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Charles “Old Hoss” Radbourn slipped his little finger fastball into the Boston Beaneaters team picture. The split-second art of photography could turn the once-boring painted portrait into a spontaneous work of rebellion, humor and spunk. Americans everywhere quickly got into the act.

  The finger is a near universal insult that we can all use.  Men, Women, children, old folks, Farmers, bankers and even computer nerds like me can use the finger with virtually perfect understanding of its meaning.  In this fast paced day and age, who has time to formulate real, meaningful insults?

 We should embrace the finger since it is truly part of our culture and something to be respected.  So here’s to you.  Up yours!

Related posts:

1. The Freindly Athiest is Always Relevant
2. Firday the 13th:THE BLOG POST
3. Dirty Little Matt

     I looked it up and there are several possible explanations why the day is interpreted as being unlucky or having a bad omen on it.  All of them are inherently silly like the belief that there is something wrong with the number 666.  Here are just a few for your brain to ponder.

-          Several theological scholars believe that Christ is thought to have been crucified on a Friday, which was a rather popular execution day among the Romans. (Yet, Christians don’t call it Bad Friday.)

-          Friday was known in Britain as Hangman’s Day on which execution by rope hanging were carried out.

-          In numerology, the number twelve is considered the number of completeness, as reflected in the twelve months of the year, twelve signs of the zodiac, twelve hours of the clock, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve Apostles of Jesus, twelve gods of Olympus, etc., whereas the number thirteen was considered irregular, transgressing this completeness.

-          There is also a superstition, thought by some to derive from the Last Supper or a Norse myth, which having thirteen people seated at a table will result in the death of one of the diners.

-          Friday has been considered an unlucky day at least since the 14th century’s The Canterbury Tales, and many other professions have regarded Friday as an unlucky day to undertake journeys or begin new projects.

-          Black Friday is a term that has been associated with stock market crashes and other disasters since the 1800s.

-          All the Knights Templar in France, a monastic military order founded in Jerusalem in 1118 C.E., whose mission was to protect Christian pilgrims during the Crusades were  secretly arrested Friday, October 13, 1307 – Friday the 13^th

     No matter how you interpret this it is still a pretty silly belief.  Although this one, unlike some others I won’t go into, is pretty benign.  In fact it’s pretty humorous.  Now go walk under some ladders behind black cats and don’t forget to throw some salt over your shoulder while you do.

Related posts:

1. Vincent Price’s Blog Post of Doom
2. 10 ways to know your wife REALLY, REALLY loves you
3. 12 Days of Christmas Technical Support Style

   I am not blatantly out to offend by any means but, I am quite the outspoken critic of organized religion.  So much so that I have atheistic catch phrases and blurbs on my social networking profiles.  This is usually the source of the tumult when it comes to folks that no longer want to be my “friend”.  I realize that my belief systems run contrary to the southern norms.  It just amuses me to see how small a box some people live in and how they keep the “big bad world” out of their lives by cutting off any hint of things that they dont agree with.
   I dont blame the people themselves either.  It has never ceased to amaze me how many parents brain wash their youngsters into their own belief systems without ever giving the children a chance to form their own opinions or ideals.  Most of the people that have “DE-friend-ed” me were people I went to school with or people i knew from the different places I have lived. They were endoctrinated into such beliefs. People seem to be ”pals” as long as  no ones opininon conflicts with the “moral majority” Most adults they find it easier to tune these kind opinions out.  Funny funny.
   If you have any friends like this, take pity on them. They will probably never know what its like to break out of the confines of the little shallow worlds they have built for themselves.

Related posts:

1. I hate “false” behavior in people.
2. Frankenstein’s Real Father
3. Masters of Materialism