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Oodain
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21 Apr 2012, 1:02 pm

over here a politician would be laughed out of parliment were they to use overt religious reasoning,

holding a political position has even less to do with atheism than an atheistic holiday.


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snapcap
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21 Apr 2012, 1:17 pm

Oodain wrote:
over here a politician would be laughed out of parliment were they to use overt religious reasoning,

holding a political position has even less to do with atheism than an atheistic holiday.


But there has to be something to hold your society together, and in some places its religion. Those societies aren't going to trust atheists to do the job. I know it's not exactly the ideal way we should go about it, but it's the truth. If atheists who want to be recognized more can't even agree what their message is, or gather together, what hope do they have of running things?


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ruveyn
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21 Apr 2012, 1:26 pm

snapcap wrote:
It's true in that atheists will never have their holiday. They are like the Occupy crowd that can't get their message agreed on.


Atheists have no message to spread. Atheism is a lack of a certain kind of belief, not a positive assertion of a belief.

There are no celebrations or rituals associated with atheism.

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Oodain
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21 Apr 2012, 1:31 pm

yes but in most societies where atheism has any hold what matters isnt religion or spirituiality,

i agree you will find tribal societies and strong religious societies whre it is impossible for the community to function without at least something to hold them together.

in the modern western world however we already have plenty to hold us together, to the extent where religion ihas become a tradition without belief or simply forgotten in some places
only place i really encounter religion in any obvious way is the internet, namely here, sure there are probably somewhat spiritual people either where i work or if not in the city whre i live (freemasons just down the road) but very few people are a part of those sections of society and the rest still functions perfectly well regardless.
as long as danish policy isnt dictated by religious doctrine i frankly dont care what they spend their time on.


also you still dont seem to see that the whole point of being an atheist is that you excactly dont belong to a coherent societal group as such,


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ruveyn
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21 Apr 2012, 1:44 pm

Oodain wrote:


also you still dont seem to see that the whole point of being an atheist is that you excactly dont belong to a coherent societal group as such,


Not so. There are organizations centered around professional interests, social or political causes, sports, community interests and various volunteer groups. We don't need no steeeenking religion to have some causes in common with other folks.

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21 Apr 2012, 2:03 pm

Although I'm not an atheist, I can see where you're coming from. I grew up in a non-religious home, but we celebrated Christmas and Easter - just in nonreligious ways. Gifts, family gatherings, special food. For Easter some new clothes. But although my parents weren't religious, they did identify as Christian. I don't, and I find that it does give me a little odd, niggling feeling of wrongness that all these holidays have nominally to do with Christian religion. However, many of those modern Christian religions have pagan roots.

Now I celebrate the winter holiday on the solstice, at home with my SO. I don't mind people saying Merry Christmas, or extended family celebrating it, but at home, for me, it's the Solstice, and I send cards that don't specify Christmas or any other religious holiday. I'm not a pagan, and although Neo-pagans celebrate the solstice, to me it's also an astronomical event, the original way our ancient ancestors kept track of the turn of the year and the seasons. Even aside from their mythological beliefs, these were important times to them. You can imagine how someone living close to the earth would see the shortening days in winter and rejoice in them beginning to lengthen again.

You might consider the solstices and equinoxes as holidays.



Last edited by SpiritBlooms on 21 Apr 2012, 2:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Joker
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21 Apr 2012, 2:05 pm

Another good holiday so tp speak would be clebebrating the history of science.



ruveyn
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21 Apr 2012, 2:06 pm

SpiritBlooms wrote:
Although I'm not an atheist, I can see where you're coming from. I grew up in a non-religious home, but we celebrated Christmas and Easter - just in nonreligious ways. Gifts, family gatherings, special food. For Easter some new clothes. But although my parents weren't religious, they did identify as Christian. I don't, and I find that it does give me a little odd, niggling feeling of wrongness that all these holidays have nominally to do with Christian religion. However, many of those modern Christian religions have pagan roots.

Now I celebrate the winter holiday on the solstice, at home with my SO. I don't mind people saying Merry Christmas, or extended family celebrating it, but at home, for me, it's the Solstice, and I send cards that don't specify Christmas or any other religious holiday. I'm not a pagan, and although Neo-pagans celebrate the solstice, to me it's also an astronomical event, the original way our ancient ancestors kept track of the turn of the year and the seasons. Even aside from their mythological beliefs, these were important times to them. You can imagine how someone living close to the earth would see the shortening days in winter and rejoice in them beginning to lengthen again.

You might consider the solstices and equinoxes as holidays.



I celebrate the Big Bang every day.

If I had not been born Jewish, I would gladly be a nature loving Pagan.

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SpiritBlooms
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21 Apr 2012, 2:09 pm

Joker wrote:
Another good holiday so tp speak would be clebebrating the history of science.
Yes! Especially the dates of scientific advances that are important to you.



ruveyn
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21 Apr 2012, 2:10 pm

SpiritBlooms wrote:
Joker wrote:
Another good holiday so tp speak would be clebebrating the history of science.
Yes! Especially the dates of scientific advances that are important to you.


Two cheers for Einstein's Birthday. No cheers for Carl Sagan's birthday.

ruveyn



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21 Apr 2012, 2:13 pm

How about atheists have their own form of Saints the way catholics do and have a list of days they celebrate their life and work.

http://www.adherents.com/people/100_scientists.html



b9
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21 Apr 2012, 2:15 pm

Quote:
What would be a good holiday for atheists?

the best place for a holiday for an atheist may be somewhere outside the currently manifested expansion of the universe.



Rocky
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21 Apr 2012, 2:25 pm

Joker wrote:
Another good holiday so tp speak would be clebebrating the history of science.


Here in the US, we now celebrate "President's Day" which combines the celebration of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. I would call it "Scientific Progress Day." I would celebrate it on the birthday of Galileo. As you all no doubt know, he suffered at the hands of the religious authorities because he publicized his scientific discoveries.



Joker
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21 Apr 2012, 2:25 pm

ruveyn wrote:
SpiritBlooms wrote:
Joker wrote:
Another good holiday so tp speak would be clebebrating the history of science.
Yes! Especially the dates of scientific advances that are important to you.


Two cheers for Einstein's Birthday. No cheers for Carl Sagan's birthday.

ruveyn


I am a huge fan of Albert Einstein. Also how about a Charles Darwin day after all he is the one that came up with Evolution.



Rocky
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21 Apr 2012, 2:35 pm

ruveyn wrote:
SpiritBlooms wrote:
Joker wrote:
Another good holiday so tp speak would be clebebrating the history of science.
Yes! Especially the dates of scientific advances that are important to you.


Two cheers for Einstein's Birthday. No cheers for Carl Sagan's birthday.

ruveyn


At the risk of de-railing the thread, what can you have against Carl Sagan? He has done so much to help inspire the general public to appreciate the universe as revealed by science.



Joker
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21 Apr 2012, 2:36 pm

Rocky wrote:
Joker wrote:
Another good holiday so tp speak would be clebebrating the history of science.


Here in the US, we now celebrate "President's Day" which combines the celebration of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. I would call it "Scientific Progress Day." I would celebrate it on the birthday of Galileo. As you all no doubt know, he suffered at the hands of the religious authorities because he publicized his scientific discoveries.


Yes he did and Galileo Galilei was Catholic oh the irony being presecuted by his own religious kind.