Evolve your beliefs

The following has posted in this space a couple of times in the past. Last year it was Franklin Graham's  NewsMax appearance trying to peddle the same, tired crap that prompted th repost. This year it is laziness and the ongoing blather spewing from Rick Perry and Michelle Bachmann. It seems to me the message is worthy of repeating.

What’s an atheist to do on Christmas?

Along about this time of the year I find myself amused with the perennial accusations of secularists perpetrating “War on Christmas”. Bill O’Reilly's seasonal schmaltz, an annual event for Bill, appeared on the December 3rd Factor. Poor Bill is forever attempting to crucify some Heinous devil worshiper in his quest to out the godless liberals at the root of American decay. This year’s target is Washington Governor Christine Gregoire.

MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann took O’Reilly to task in a most humorous commentary. The last two years I had the You Tube embedded here, but when Olbermann departed NBC they terminated the channel. Anyway....

Being one of O’Reilly’s devil worshipers, I feel at least somewhat vindicated, and more than a little amused. But still I remain confused. Why is it that we have these ongoing controversies?

My philosophies do not allow for belief in much of anything, certainly not a diety or creator, but I find little reason to fight the religionists. Other than the pre-holiday commercial onslaught and it being overall a pretty boring day, I find little in Christmas to dislike.

I’m by no means alone in this country when I identify myself as non-theist. Surveys have indicated that somewhere around 15% of Americans tic off the “non-religious” box where such is offered. Approximately the same percentage of date-seekers registered with Match.com choose either, atheist, agnostic, spiritual but not religious, or other when asked the faith question.

Personally I’d like to see the results of a survey offering only two choices: Monotheistic or Not Monotheistic.

Christmas is here to stay and the militant in our rank should just lay back and enjoy the inevitable. The Jews have done a good job of adapting, as have immigrant populations of various other faiths.

There is even a company offering atheistic Christmas cards that can be ordered over the WWW [www.atheistholidaycards.com]. Judging by the prices I would speculate the owner is Jewish, but that is one of the ways the Jews have adapted to the Christian holiday.

Some recent surveys have indicated up to 95% of Americans celebrate Christmas in one form or another. Take that earlier 15% into consideration and you can figure about two thirds of the non-believers still celebrate the holiday. The remaining third are just noisy stinkers trying to rile O’Reilly.

Plenty of well known secularists and big name atheists celebrate Christmas. Heck, it’s a Federal holiday, you get presents, get off work most years, are encouraged to drink alcohol...

So what’s not to celebrate?

H/T to Hemant Mehta, AKA the Friendly Atheist and current Chairman of the Foundation Beyond Belief... a charitable organization that doesn't need God to be Good.

~~