Christmas and A Few Other Things

I've been seeing and reading quite a few comments on tv and in the news about the agnostic/atheist billboards and bus signs around the country and how Christians and Christmas are being attacked by the evil godless ones. Personally, I think that most religious people are convinced that they're 100% right so, they're too busy being offended and self-righteous to understand what's really going on, but I'm going to try and explain it a little from my perspective.

Atheists are not jealous of Christmas. Contrary to what many Christians believe, atheists aren't sitting around this time of year pining for a holiday of their own. It's not as if Christmas comes with an overtly religious message anymore, at least not unless that's what a family or individual wants it to be. You can create their own Christ-o-palooza if that floats your boat. However, it is frustrating at times when religion is pushed onto us and into our lives, but for the most part, it's not too difficult to ignore the Christian side of what really is a mostly secular holiday. In fact, there's little change in the way that I celebrate during this time of year as compared to how I celebrated when I believed all of the hocus-pocus religious stuff. There aren't any nativity scenes around, but there is still a ton of food, shopping, presents, Santa, lights and family to celebrate with. My favorite part is knowing that starting at the end of December, the daylight's gonna be around a little longer every day and that means we're on our way toward Spring. It could be said that I celebrate the old fashioned way or even the original way. So, Christians, get over yourselves, you're not as important as you think you are.

In response to the billboard/bus sign uproar, the reasons that there are atheist/agnostic billboards around the country are pretty simple. First, it's a rally against religion being thrown in our faces. Some of us, and I'm in this camp, feel downright oppressed by religion. It's assumed by most of the people where I live that I'm a Christian. For example, I've been confronted about my unwillingness to "praise god" for the weather in the check out line at my local Wal-Mart. Yeah, you heard me right...check out line...Wal-Mart. Not too long ago when I helped an older lady who was having a difficult time, her comment to me was something like, "You can sure see the light of Christ in your face, thank you," as if only Christians can be kind. There hasn't been a school year go by wherein I haven't had to weigh the consequences to my kids for saying something about a school motto that mentions god, or a billboard in the classroom that has something about god on it. It's agonizing...Do I risk making my child a target or do I stick up for my right to separation of church and state?(Non-belief does make them a target, but that's for another post.) The other reason that atheist/agnostic billboards and bus signs are popping up is that it's about damn time non-believers are treated with respect and dignity in this country. Our friends and families need a wake up call; if they want respect they have to give it in return and our elected leaders need to know that they represent us too. We are moral, ethical, and hard-working; we deserve to stand up and be counted.

Also, if we non-believers have to put up with commercials on television that sell churches and god then the believers in this country can just deal with our billboards and bus signs. I don't want to hear any whinging about how Christians and Christianity are being attacked, either. Wah! You guys are the big-believers in this country and you're the ones who are yelling the loudest and crying about how you're being attacked and prevented from practicing your religion when the truth is that the rest of us are just trying to keep you out of our politics, laws and educational systems. Since you're putting yourselves there, you have no one to blame but yourselves for catching most of the blowback on this front.

I do realize that my last few comments can easily be seen as confrontational. On the other hand, subtly and attempts at mutual respect haven't moved us very far along towards coexisting so I'm going to try overt honesty and reality for a change. My in-laws could be in for an interesting Christmas this year.