The bits of mainstream atheism that are about being pissed off at Christianity go right over my head

It's mostly about being pissed off that a set of magical beliefs affect the lives of those of us who don't, you know, believe.

"Magical beliefs"? What's magic about them? (That's not a pissy question; I'm just curious.)

It's mostly about being pissed off that a set of magical beliefs affect the lives of those of us who don't, you know, believe.

IME, being raised Christian can make some atheists take this very personally in a way that most non-ex-Christians atheists don't.

The battle cry of the mighty neocon - "America is a Christian nation!" - is heard very differently by people who once believed it than by people who were Part Of The Problem long before they were atheists.

Have we discussed the atheist ad campaign here? [link]

From that article:

“It is the ultimate Grinch to suggest there is no God during a holiday where millions of people around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ,” said Mathew D. Staver, founder and chairman of the Liberty Counsel, a conservative religious law firm, and dean of Liberty University School of Law in Lynchburg, Va. “It is insensitive and mean.”

Isn't the whole point of the Grinch story that the Grinch is irrelevant? He can steal the stuff, but he can't steal Christmas, because Christmas isn't something that can be stolen. This seems like not the analogy he meant.

Combined with the "The Grinch is Jewish!" conversation we were having yesterday, the whole thing just makes me laugh.

In Seattle, this year’s signs say “Millions are good without God.” In Las Vegas, signs to be put up this week will say “Reasons Greetings” and “Yes, Virginia ... there is no God.”

The sponsor of the Las Vegas signs, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, created a furor last year with its sign that read, in part, “Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.” Its location was next to a Nativity scene at the Capitol in Olympia.

Most of the signs mentioned in that article hit me as either "Eh, whatever" or "Sure, why not?" But "Reasons Greetings" bugs me, and that one in the second paragraph I do find offensive.

Interesting. A former head of the American Humanist Association wrote in a letter to the editor criticizing those ads. [link]

Isn't the whole point of the Grinch story that the Grinch is irrelevant? He can steal the stuff, but he can't steal Christmas, because Christmas isn't something that can be stolen. This seems like not the analogy he meant.

Yeah, he TOTALLY did not get the Grinch.

I'm amused by the "stores are trying to DECHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS!!!!!" battle-cry. When I was a kid it seemed like half of Lent was spent with my Church telling me "Christmas isn't about stuff..." Honestly, to me the public use of "holiday" rather than "Christmas" is, you know, good news.

Happy Two Decades, Beth and Matt! Wishing you many more.

OMG, y'all. I am feeling cranky and ragetastic. I think it's partly PMS and partly that I'm not feeling good about myself right now, which always makes me pissy towards others. I'm listening to a dharma talk, partially to drown out office noise and partially to try and calm down, but it's not as effective as I'd like it to be.

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRR!!!

*ahem* Pardon me. (BTW, not really looking for hairpats, just needed to get it out)

I'm amused by the "stores are trying to DECHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS!!!!!" battle-cry. When I was a kid it seemed like half of Lent was spent with my Church telling me "Christmas isn't about stuff..." Honestly, to me the public use of "holiday" rather than "Christmas" is, you know, good news.

My friend Chris and I got into it pretty bad one year over "Have a good holiday" vs "Have a good Christmas." He really didn't get it AT ALL. It ended up with him yelling at me, "That's BULLSHIT!" and me yelling back, "WELL YOU'RE BULLSHIT!"

And then we put that on the list of Do Not Discuss and went back to inappropriate flirting over the phone.