re: Honest question for the PT Atheist

I and not offended by the celebration of Christmas, and often say Merry Christmas just to be polite. Christianity is not something I can believe in, but if it works for other people that is fine with me.

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And by the way, you’re still misconstruing my statement.

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Which statement is that? I was replying to the claim that Christmas is based on a pagan ritual. That is what I responded to. What am I misconstruing?

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No.

think a solid mix of southern Baptist and Calvinist

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Thanks!

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It would make more sense for atheists to ignore all religious observances and if so desired create new cultural celebrations that remove any reference to religion.

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I like receiving and giving presents.

I like cooking.

I like visiting family.

The modern version of Christmas fits me just fine.

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You know where I hear people complaining about hearing happy holidays instead of merry Christmas? Malls and stores. Maybe you would do better by explaining why Christians think places of commerce are appropriate places to express faith than in churches or holy areas.

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I apologize, I need to change the question in the OP to get right at the heart of the matter,

Why do atheists participate in any religious observances/ceremonies particularly when many atheists loathe religion of all stripes.

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I don’t believe it does, but I did wonder if one is an atheist and takes the position of many high profile atheists such as Hitchens, Dawkins, Harris, etc. (who believe that religion is a scourge on society and should be abolished) why any atheist would participate in any religious observances.

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I actually shy away from the word atheist because of its connotations of zealotry in our modern usage. I'm not a zealot, I just think it's a fairy tale. I don't hate Christianity, I have mostly fond memories of a churchy childhood. As to whether religion has been a net positive in human history I lean towards yes but I could make a strong argument either way.

And I'm a lot more open about this on a semi-anonymous message board than in real life. Very few people in real life know my beliefs but that's not because its a deep, dark, secret. Its because it's of little consequence to me.

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I don’t believe it does, but I did wonder if one is an atheist and takes the position of many high profile atheists such as Hitchens, Dawkins, Harris, etc. (who believe that religion is a scourge on society and should be abolished) why any atheist would participate in any religious observances.

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This is what I'm talking about. You're taking the positions of some of the most outspoken atheists on Earth and assuming that all the rest of us feel the same way. Most of us just don't give a shite one way or the other. I actually have pretty positive views on religion and even attend church fairly often with my family. There are millions of us. Why would you assume we all think the same things?

there are many of us that basically ascribe to the secular humanist view... we identify more with Bart Ehrman, and many of us have similar stories as him...

as far as religion, hey, if it works for you, great... i was a born again Christian from the time that i was 8 years old and prayed the sinner's prayer with my Southern Baptist preacher grandfather... as i grew, learned, observed, and formed my own opinions i began to feel like i wasn't getting the "whole story", so i continued to dig and get more information to either ensure my faith or dismiss it.... i encourage all believers to do the same, rather than just living a life of "borrowed" faith, because that's what you were taught so that's all you'll accept....

i'm not overly open about my beliefs IRL, but if asked, i do explain my overall view.... and with all the research and education, i know a lot about various religions, so i can hold my own, if need be... but i try to avoid that, as i just think we should all live and let live... whatever floats your boat, just don't force your religious views on me and we are good... i firmly believe in the separation of church and state, just like our founding fathers did... you can still have morality in the absence of theology.... the two are not mutually exclusive, and should be viewed as such

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OP...you must be a very bored and boring person...I am an atheist and I surely seem to be a lot happier and more fulfilled than you...find a hobby or something...why continue to waste so much time? There are way more fun, important and interesting questions to ponder...and I do it most of every day! Try and have a good day!

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I have a lot of interests and hobbies, a large family and many friends. The OP is an interesting question to ponder, particularly why atheists would contribute to the continuation of a religious observance that they believe is based on a myth. You and many other atheists are like many Christians with regards to daily life. We go to work, spend time with family and friends, pursue personal interests and live as neighbors but the atheist movement would like to see all religions die a quick death.