The only reason I’m posting this is because I spent a goodly amount of time composing a reply, only to have it bounce back because of a defunct email address.
The topic: A(nti)theists and their random campaigns against Christmas/God/etc.
My original comment:
Ugh. The only contempt I have is for these morons. If you don’t believe in God, leave Him and His believers alone. No harm, no foul.
Response I find in my inbox posted to my blog this morning:
I just read your comment on HotAir regarding the sign Atheists put up next to a nativity scene and a mennorah. >>
”Ugh. The only contempt I have is for these morons. If you don’t believe in God, leave Him and His believers alone. No harm, no foul.”Leave his believers alone?! Are you kidding me?! It’s not atheists who are trying to legislate so-called religious “values”. Give me a break. Notice the nativity scene was there first. Who wasn’t leaving WHO alone?
My response:
Theresa -
Sorry, I left the thread, and the computer, early last night – I’m coming down with a bad chest cold. Anyway, I wanted to clear something up. I am a nontheist myself, have been for a while. But I don’t inherently have a problem with religious people – I’m surrounded by them in my daily life.
I’m a military wife; we move around a lot, and each time we settle in to a new community, I seek to fit in. I do not seek to change the community around me, which is what I feel these anti-theists are doing. God has been on my money since before my birth, and I ignore it. I don’t let it bother me. Hell, I can sit through a church service with my inlaws, and the only thing that comes of it is that I’m a little bored at the end.
I wonder if you read the post on my blog that you left your comment on. I am not a fan of Christmas. Yes, it bothers the hell out of me… but what do I do? I rant online, to my husband, and then I get on with my life. Because seriously, it’s just a frakking holiday. I’ll admit it cannot be ignored as easily as a God reference on a dollar bill, but one can lessen the Christmas impact on one’s life. The nativity doesn’t bother me, it shouldn’t bother you – any more than seeing a menorah, a crescent moon, or an 8-armed god-figure with an elephant head. If you are secure enough in your personal philosophies, then you won’t let it get under your skin. Let them have their holiday displays, and mock them to your heart’s content to your friends or in your head if so inclined.
One last thing (sorry, I tend to be a bit verbose at times) – I do think that legislating certain religious mores is a bad thing. If you’ve followed any of my comments on any other threads, especially the gay adoption one, you’d see that I’d like the focus of the GOP to be on its roots of small government and fiscal responsibility. I do not feel that putting up a religious display during a religious season is legislating religious values – it’s making nice with the bosses, ie the people who voted those law-makers into office. If atheists want to be included, I’m sure they could have found a less offensive thing to include – maybe just a model of the globe, to represent our natural world. Of course, I think that by wanting to include a sign, they wanted a) and acknowledgment of their own “religion” and b) wanted to piss religious people off.
Well, I hope this cleared a few things up for you. Feel free to carry on this conversation if you’d like, or not, the choice is yours. I’ll publish your comment on my blog (I only delete spam). Hope you have a good day.
Anna
I am deleting the comment now, because I have reposted it here. I have a post in my head I’ve been working on about this subject, but in the meantime, I’ll field any questions anyone might have about this.
Off to go lay back down, because ugh, my chest hurts and my head is throbbing!
Joy said,
December 3, 2008 at 11:51 am
WOW! I can’t even think of anything to say which is very rare. Take care, I hope you feel better very soon.
thegoddessanna said,
December 3, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I wonder if that’s a good silence or a bad silence!
I know this is going to be a bad winter – I’m going from one sickness to another nearly non-stop. Last year, mild winter, and I wasn’t sick once!
Joy said,
December 3, 2008 at 8:42 pm
No, it’s not bad. It’s just such a personal issue so I can’t imagine her wanting to argue about it.
I really hope it’s not all downhill for you this winter. That would really suck.
nikki said,
January 5, 2009 at 4:03 pm
I wish I would have came to your blog a long time ago. I identify with you, I keep it to myself. I’m in no way anti religious..to each their own!! Why people feel the need to argue is beyond me. I will be coming back!!!!! Feel better soon!!
Bill Scrunty said,
February 6, 2009 at 4:10 pm
I totally agree! I’m agnostic, but I recognize the major role Christianity has had in making this country the remarkable place it is today. I also see how many of the values taught by Christianity help make society better. I don’t think there is a God, so why should it bother me to see a nativity scene or that my children say God during the pledge of allegience? In my opinion atheists who proselytize are even more annoying than religious people who do. At least religious people are trying to save my soul, what purpose do atheists have?
Brandon said,
February 27, 2009 at 1:54 pm
A few thoughts. I am now well settled spiritually. I am a Heathen, I worship the heathen Gods of the Saxons, Germans, Goths and Scandanavians.
There for a time I was not. I wasn’t a militant atheist or an agnostic but I was militant in trying to come to certain conclusions. I was a walking inquisition when it came to spiritual people. Though, for the sake of argument, I’ll call myself a militant atheist because I could not believe in the Judeo-Christian god and I thought I was doing others a favor by trying to shatter their ‘bonds’ of imprisonment.
These evangelical atheists are by and large, angry and jealous. I say that because at one point I was. I saw Christians who were unbelievably satisfied and happy with themselves and their faith. I saw Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Muslims and others who were happy and satisfied.
But I was not at the time. These evangelical Atheists want to believe. I have never seen religious people argue God and religion as much as those who ‘do not believe’. They want desperately to find Grace or Redemption, at the very least they want that peace of mind that Faith brings.
But they cannot. They want something true, but humanity’s state in life prevents us from recognizing transcendant truths such as God exists and therefore they must doubt. They want a God that is all things to all people, all loving, all justice and merciful that is incapable of doing wrong or laying down Moral laws.
Because they cannot find it, part of them, subconciously, seeks to tear other people’s happiness so they can find comfort in the fact that they are not alone in their seperation from God.
I now realize that I was not doing any favors in trying to ‘free’ people from the bonds of Faith but was infact wanting to join me in my agony.