Atheist tactics in Calif

[Imaginarynumber1]

The article talks about other religions having a booth as well (the Jewish one). Others could have a booth as well if they cared, but I don't think they do. Ironically (I think), atheists care.

I don't care. I don't celebrate Christmas, but I understand the atheists position. They put up a Christmas display, so the atheists put up a flying spaghetti monster display. It's just as real as their god and is allowed by law, so who cares? It's just the church being butt hurt that they're getting made fun of in a public display. It's about time atheists get their voice heard, too.

[_Only]

Funny story: "The date of December 25th comes from Rome and was a celebration of the Italic god, Saturn, and the rebirth of the sun god. This was done long before the birth of Jesus. It was noted by the pre-Christian Romans and other pagans, that daylight began to increase after December 22nd, when they assumed that the sun god died. These ancients believed that the sun god rose from the dead three days later as the new-born and venerable sun." http://www.lasttrump...cts/tract3.html

Yes, Christians stole that date and features of stories, as many religions and cultures do between each other. But they stole it to make their own Christian holiday, Christmas, celebrating the birth of their God's son, which is what the church put a display up of. That's all.

This would be considered a sketchy thing to do by any religious group, publicly displaying their holiday to others, but the thing is, Christmas has been molded by J.C. Penny, Disney, and Wells Fargo to become the holiday it is today, accepted by all cultures and creeds. The tricky part is when someone wants to put a display up of what the holiday actually is about, instead of a candy cane holding snowman. I can't help but feel they have the free pass to do so.

Edited November 18, 2012 by _Only

[Artaxerxes]

The divisiveness we experience over Christmas is just another way for us to experience duality and separation.

Life is one big long lesson in what it means and how it feels to be separate. From the moment we are born and separate from our our mothers till the day we die and our deaths become a lesson in separation to the loved ones we leave behind.

Religion, politics, race, culture, language, dialects, gender, sexual orientation, wealth, height and weight, socio-economic status, there are a plethora of things that we experience separation on. This place we live in now is the place of separation and the other side, the place we call heaven is the place of connectedness and oneness. We are here simply to learn the lessons that can't be learned in heaven.

Life has to be the way it is in order to imprint on the soul what it means and how it feels to be separate, what time and space look and feel like, and make memories of what it was like to live in a 3 dimensional + 1 time universe.

[_Only]

OK, well lets embrace other cultures and I say we have a time in September where we all abstain from alcohol and pork in the day and binge on it at night, see how that goes down, very nice I would say

We know, its Yule.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say. What do those things have to do with the story?

[freetoroam]

The divisiveness we experience over Christmas is just another way for us to experience duality and separation.

Life is one big long lesson in what it means and how it feels to be separate. From the moment we are born and separate from our our mothers till the day we die and our deaths become a lesson in separation to the loved ones we leave behind.

Religion, politics, race, culture, language, dialects, gender, sexual orientation, wealth, height and weight, socio-economic status, there are a plethora of things that we experience separation on. This place we live in now is the place of separation and the other side, the place we call heaven is the place of connectedness and oneness. We are here simply to learn the lessons that can't be learned in heaven.

Life has to be the way it is in order to imprint on the soul what it means and how it feels to be separate, what time and space look and feel like, and make memories of what it was like to live in a 3 dimensional + 1 time universe.

you may or may not have noticed, but there are a few of us on here who do not believe in heaven.

The only lesson which some of us have learned is...do not follow a religion. I do not feel separated, but I have seen that most wars thoughout history has been caused over religion, its still going on today.....this is not something i will ever follow and if it means I am separated from it...good, i want no part of it.

[freetoroam]

I'm not sure what you're trying to say. What do those things have to do with the story?

Just an example of what has happened through out the years with the hijacking of peoples annual celebrations and turning them into their own and forgetting the ones who started it in the first place.

Edited November 18, 2012 by freetoroam

[Odin11]

Ok, I don’t get it. So a city allows Christians, and others, to put up displays in a public park. One year an Atheist puts one up; Christians throw a hissy fit. Two years later, more Atheists put up displays (won in the lottery process used to award booths, fair and square); Christians throw an even bigger hissy fit and vandalized most of the signs. So the city stops doing it all together. And somehow it’s the Atheists fault? Sounds more like it’s the Christian’s hissy fits and vandalism that made them stop doing it.

Edited November 18, 2012 by Odin11

[Diablo Blanco]

Funny story: "The date of December 25th comes from Rome and was a celebration of the Italic god, Saturn, and the rebirth of the sun god. This was done long before the birth of Jesus. It was noted by the pre-Christian Romans and other pagans, that daylight began to increase after December 22nd, when they assumed that the sun god died. These ancients believed that the sun god rose from the dead three days later as the new-born and venerable sun." http://www.lasttrump...cts/tract3.html

I just wanted to elaborate on your post if I may,

And in that Roman calendar December was the tenth month of the year as decem in latin means ten. The Roman

calendar began on what we now call March 25th. Making march the 1st month, april the 2nd month, may the 3rd

month, june the 4th month, july the 5th month, august the 6th month,

SEPTEMber the 7th month (as septem in

latin is seven) gregorian calendar it is the 9th month), OCTOber the 8th month (as octo in latin means eight)

gregorian calendar it is the 10th month), NOVEMber the 9th month (as novem in latin means nine) gregorian

calendar it is the 11th month), and finally DECEMber the 10th month (as decem in latin means ten) gregorian

calendar it is the 12th month).

So the sun god s' energy begins to "create" vegetation for 6 months at the spring equinox (march ) . and on the 7th

month, the fall equinox (september) libra the scales or balance), the sun god dips below the equator and he appears to be resting as his energy becomes weak and vegetation starts to wither and die. ( the sun god jesus cursing the fig tree causing it to wither and

die comes to mind).

Here we have the year divided, 6 months of beneficient suns energy (good), and 6 months of weak sun energy

marked by the constellation Libra (the scales), the 7th month of the year, whereas vegetation or crops if you will, die.

(evil). (Halloween in symbolic of this death and is 40 days after the autumnal equinox). (40 days after the spring

equinox is May Day or if we go 40 days passed march 25th we have cinco de mayo).

[Beckys_Mom]

Ok, I don’t get it. So a city allows Christians, and others, to put up displays in a public park. One year an Atheist puts one up; Christians throw a hissy fit. Two years later, more Atheists put up displays (won in the lottery process used to award booths, fair and square); Christians throw an even bigger hissy fit and vandalized most of the signs. So the city stops doing it all together. And somehow it’s the Atheists fault? Sounds more like it’s the Christian’s hissy fits and vandalism that made them stop doing it.

Because they love thy neighbor so very much ..And using angry throwing the hissy fits.. they must think that is what Jesus would do !!

Edited November 18, 2012 by Beckys_Mom

[Eldorado]

Ok, I don’t get it. So a city allows Christians, and others, to put up displays in a public park. One year an Atheist puts one up; Christians throw a hissy fit. Two years later, more Atheists put up displays (won in the lottery process used to award booths, fair and square); Christians throw an even bigger hissy fit and vandalized most of the signs. So the city stops doing it all together. And somehow it’s the Atheists fault? Sounds more like it’s the Christian’s hissy fits and vandalism that made them stop doing it.

Sound more like these "atheists" were only out to try and spoil Christmas for Christians. Spiteful, childish behaviour that calls into question their definition of "tolerance".

Just like all "atheists", they believe they have superior intelligence to everyone who believes in a deity. That'll be about 75% of the world's population. Talk about heads up backsides?

Edited November 18, 2012 by Eldorado

[freetoroam]

Sound more like these "atheists" were only out to try and spoil Christmas for Christians. Spiteful, childish behaviour that calls into question their definition of "tolerance".

Just like all "atheists", they believe they have superior intelligence to everyone who believes in a deity. That'll be about 75% of the world's population. Talk about heads up backsides?

That`s not a very "tolerant" post from you. are you a christian perhaps?!!

[+ouija ouija]

Just like ALL "atheists", they believe they have superior intelligence to everyone who believes in a deity. That'll be about 75% of the world's population. Talk about heads up backsides?

'ALL'? Oh come on El!

[Eldorado]

That`s not a very "tolerant" post from you. are you a christian perhaps?!!

I hope so. Why is my post intolerant? I never said they have no right to do what they do, merely that they are showing hypocrisy, as do very many religious folks. Am I not entitled to this mere opinion?

[Eldorado]

'ALL'? Oh come on El!

Fair enough. About 99% believe they are superior in intelligence.

[freetoroam]

I hope so. Why is my post intolerant? I never said they have no right to do what they do, merely that they are showing hypocrisy, as do very many religious folks. Am I not entitled to this mere opinion?

Ofcourse you are entitled, you crack on and I agree many religious folk are hypocrites.

(puts head back up backside)

[Eldorado]

Ofcourse you are entitled, you crack on and I agree many religious folk are hypocrites.

(puts head back up backside)

I take it from that you believe there are no "atheists" who are hypocrites and who just love to annoy the religious?

There are some on this forum for whom it would appear to be their raison d'etre.

Edited November 18, 2012 by Eldorado

[freetoroam]

I take it from that you believe there are no "atheists" who are hypocrites and who just love to annoy the religious?

There are some on this forum for whom it would appear to be their raison d'etre.

Unless the "athiest" you are talking about goes to church every sunday or reads the bible on a regular basis, then no, not really.

[ranrod]

Ok, I don’t get it. So a city allows Christians, and others, to put up displays in a public park. One year an Atheist puts one up; Christians throw a hissy fit. Two years later, more Atheists put up displays (won in the lottery process used to award booths, fair and square); Christians throw an even bigger hissy fit and vandalized most of the signs. So the city stops doing it all together. And somehow it’s the Atheists fault? Sounds more like it’s the Christian’s hissy fits and vandalism that made them stop doing it.

My question is why did Atheists feel the need to publicly ridicule the Christians that had been part of that event for over 50 years? Why do they care? Are they actively trying to promote Atheism, deter Christianity, or suppress religious expression? As a non-believer I couldn't care less what believers want to do. When a little girl tells you they are behaving good so she gets presents from Santa Claus, do you feel compelled to ridicule her? Probably not. Let her have her fun, right?

[Eldorado]

Unless the "athiest" you are talking about goes to church every sunday or reads the bible on a regular basis, then no, not really.

I rest my case.

[GoldenWolf]

Because they love thy neighbor so very much ..And using angry throwing the hissy fits.. they must think that is what Jesus would do !!

He did turn tables over...

[ranrod]

Unless the "athiest" you are talking about goes to church every sunday or reads the bible on a regular basis, then no, not really.

I don't know if hypocracy is the right word, but what do you call someone who chooses not to take part on something, but vehemently hates it when other people do? A:"do you want ice cream?" B:"no" A:"fine, I'll go have it on my own", B:"you son of a b****!"?????

[ShadowSot]

My question is why did Atheists feel the need to publicly ridicule the Christians that had been part of that event for over 50 years?

What's time got to do with it?

Why do they care?

It seems it grew out of them getting their own display and the Christians having a hissy fit against them. Then them responding to the hissy fit by having a hissy fit.

Are they actively trying to promote Atheism, deter Christianity, or suppress religious expression?

Yes, Yes, No.

As a non-believer I couldn't care less what believers want to do. When a little girl tells you they are behaving good so she gets presents from Santa Claus, do you feel compelled to ridicule her? Probably not. Let her have her fun, right?

Atheists are still the least trusted minority in the US, under rapists.

(Actually, I think we're now above the Tea Party, groovy.)

There is a growing trend of atheist and secular (and in secular groups this is a mixture of atheists and secular theists) who try to enforce what they see as breaches of separation of church and state. Further, atheist groups have a tendency to try to promote atheism as a valid world view.

And of course they are not necessarily any more rational or less antagonistic than any other group, it's still made up of humans.

As a child, no. As an adult, I might feel the slight desire to poke a little (good natured) fun at her, yes.

Of course, I have little fear that someone who still believes in Santa will try to instill faith based initiatives or that the US was found upon Yuletide principles.

[Odin11]

My question is why did Atheists feel the need to publicly ridicule the Christians that had been part of that event for over 50 years? Why do they care? Are they actively trying to promote Atheism, deter Christianity, or suppress religious expression? As a non-believer I couldn't care less what believers want to do. When a little girl tells you they are behaving good so she gets presents from Santa Claus, do you feel compelled to ridicule her? Probably not. Let her have her fun, right?

Why do the Christian displays need to be on public property? Why can't they put it up on the Churches property? I would have no problem with that. In fact, I really don't have a problem with it being on public property as well, as long as they don't act like they have the sole right to put up displays.

[ShadowSot]

I don't know if hypocracy is the right word, but what do you call someone who chooses not to take part on something, but vehemently hates it when other people do? A:"do you want ice cream?" B:"no" A:"fine, I'll go have it on my own", B:"you son of a b****!"?????

Yes, but then the person having the ice cream tries to get their favorite ice cream made mandatory for everyone. You're not a true patriot if you don't like this ice cream. You will be sent to a place where you can only eat turds after you die if you don't take this ice cream.

You can only reach office if you like this ice cream. Ect.

You seem to be looking at only this one incident when there's a good deal more going on than just this Christmas display.

Now personally, I don't associate (though I keep informed) with any of the bigger Atheist groups in the US. I'm instead a member of several skeptic groups. Atheist groups are to narrow focused and to political for my liking, with exceptions. Unfortunately those exceptions (like Ask an Atheist, based out of Washington State) don't get as much attention as the jerks, as anyone will tell you.

[Odin11]

Sound more like these "atheists" were only out to try and spoil Christmas for Christians. Spiteful, childish behaviour that calls into question their definition of "tolerance".

Just like all "atheists", they believe they have superior intelligence to everyone who believes in a deity. That'll be about 75% of the world's population. Talk about heads up backsides?

The olny "Spiteful, childish behaviour" I see in all this is the vandalism of the displays.

And the 2^nd half of your post isn’t worth a response

Edited November 19, 2012 by Odin11