Deidre Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 Having been raised in a Christian home, and following the faith for a while into adulthood, I only for the past year or so, started being more vocal as to my atheistic stance. It's been a total of four years roughly now, that I haven't attended church, and practiced the faith, since discovering for myself, that Christianity was not based on truths, but rather at best metaphors and symbolism, at worst, lies. That said, I haven't 'celebrated' any Christian holidays for the past few years, and really don't want to go through the motions this year, with relatives, and friends who are Christian. Just curious as to how you handle ''Easter'' and other such Christian celebratons, now that you are no longer Christian? Some of my friends who are atheists are having dinners to celebrate spring, and a 'rebirth' of sorts. I'd much rather spend the day with them. Look forward to your thoughts, and how this has affected your life, since moving away from Christianity. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midniterider Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 On Easter when I get up I take 1 Prozac, 2 Vicodin, 3 Atavan, drink 4 cups of coffee... no, wait, that was today. Ok, I guess Easter is no different than any other day for me. ;-) When the kids were still at home we colored eggs, hid them and found most of them. Pretty much the same when I was a kid. Back in the 90s though when I was married to the fundy wife we did the Easter church service....glad it was on Sunday so I didnt have to attend church an additional day out of the week. And the church probably had a potluck. Then the church kids did egg hunts ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreeThinkerNZ Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 I guess it depends on what your family's expectations are and the extent to which you do or do not want to keep up appearances with them. My family doesn't do anything special for easter so I can only share on what happens at xmas, they go to an extra church service on xmas day and I don't plan to join them for it again or on any Sunday for that matter. It is such a relief not making myself go to church just because they choose to go. I don't expect them to come to an athiest group with me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eugene39 Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 2010 was the year that I thought my way out of Christianity. At the turn of the new year in 2011, I quit attending church. However, my former pastor and I were still talking some then and he invited me to the Easter service. So I went. The service cemented in my thinking everything that I believed was wrong with Christianity. So, the last couple of years, a friend (who has also left Christianity) and I get together on Easter morning and discuss whatever we feel like at the time. It's great. Then, after my wife gets home from church, we eat ham to celebrate the resurrection of a Jew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted April 6, 2014 Super Moderator Share Posted April 6, 2014 As we have done in the past, a group of us is going out to a nice waterfront restaurant to have a great Easter dinner. I don't care what other people believe, and I hope they extend me the same courtesy. I'm happy to participate in celebrations of all kinds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator TheRedneckProfessor Posted April 6, 2014 Super Moderator Share Posted April 6, 2014 Most of the "christian" holidays were originally pagan holidays that the church high-jacked in effort to be more relevant in pagan cultures. Study the ancient Celtic holiday Beltane and read whatever you can find on the goddess Ishtar. You'll see that bunnies and eggs have been with us for a lot longer than jesus. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellinas Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 From a family standpoint, I go with the flow. From the standpoint of the church that I still attend with my wife, thankfully they don't believe in following an ecclesiastical calendar, so no special services or celebrations. From a personal standpoint, I see Easter as a celebration of the returning fertility of Spring. Christmas is the celebration of the turning of the year from the depths of winter to the returning light. Although I can link these to myths in a fairly idiosyncratic fashion, I tend to regard these as more social than religious celebrations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cousin Ricky Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 Last year I celebrated Easter by going to the American Atheists annual convention, and I'm set to do the same this year. Aside from no longer attending the cash collection convocation (church service), I celebrate Christmas as I always have: by spending time with family and doing the gift exchange thing. The gift exchange is actually the most brutal aspect of the season for me, and in 1993 I opted out for mental health reasons. A few years later, I opted out of an office gift exchange, and got a stern talking to from my boss. (Of course, he could not legally force me to participate.) Since my deconversion, I've given myself permission not to obligate myself over the gift exchange, with the ironic result that I feel better about the very few gifts that I do buy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deidre Posted April 6, 2014 Author Share Posted April 6, 2014 For some reason, I can't get the multiquote feature to work...hmmm. lol So bear with me, I wanted to address everyone here. @ midniterider, your post made me laugh, you are funny. @ freethinker, good points. I don't think anyone has expectations, I was invited to a dinner at my family's house, and to be polite, I will attend. But, not staying the entire day like I used to. The first year that I became vocal about atheism, it was difficult, but they have stopped asking me about it, as often. I don't really want to go through the motions, however...would rather spend the entire day with my friends who are atheists/non Christians. @ Eugene, what a great day you have planned! Nice that your wife is understanding, also. @ florduh, I like your username I also like your dinner idea. That sounds like a blast! I plan to spend time with my atheist/non Christian friends, but will make an appearance at my family's. @ redneck professor...yup. true. Even the concept of marriage, which was a pagan tradition, was hijacked by Christianity. Ugh. Thx for the thoughts. @ ellinas, I see. Do you feel obligated to attend your wife's church? Just wondering on that. @ cousin ricky, your boss gave you a stern talking to? Someone should send him the memo that religion has nothing to do at all with your job. That bugs me. Glad you stood your ground. While it's not 'that big of a deal,' I just wish more people who are Christians, would respect my newfound freedom in atheism. I respect them, not necessarily their religion, but I understand it. I was Christian for a long time, and I don't begrudge anyone for what they believe, so long as they don't pressure others to believe it, also. Appreciate the insights, all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cousin Ricky Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 I forgot to mention, one thing that is sure to happen is the family grace before the meal. My mom is considerate enough that she used to ask if anyone minded saying grace. (In addition to myself, one of my nephews and his wife are non-Christians.) She no longer bothers to ask, because she knows by now that we don’t mind. I hold hands in the circle, because that is meaningful to me. I do not close my eyes, bow my head, say “Amen,” or cross myself. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cousin Ricky Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 @ cousin ricky, your boss gave you a stern talking to? Someone should send him the memo that religion has nothing to do at all with your job. That bugs me. Glad you stood your ground. In fairness to him, it was entirely non-religious. His concern was the social cohesion of his unit. Besides, I was still a devout Christian at the time—perhaps the most devout Christian in the department—and that, believe it or not, got in the way of my enjoying Christmas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreeThinkerNZ Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 From a family standpoint, I go with the flow. From the standpoint of the church that I still attend with my wife, thankfully they don't believe in following an ecclesiastical calendar, so no special services or celebrations. From a personal standpoint, I see Easter as a celebration of the returning fertility of Spring. Christmas is the celebration of the turning of the year from the depths of winter to the returning light. Although I can link these to myths in a fairly idiosyncratic fashion, I tend to regard these as more social than religious celebrations. In the Southern Hemisphere I see Easter as the last long weekend before winter really sets in, so a good time to go on a quick vacation or get the gardening/home repairs done while the weather is still half decent. Christmas is generally seen as an end of year celebration that signals the start of most people's summer vacation. Casually ignoring religious tradition is getting easier for me the more practice I get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masomenos Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 good post deidre:) I dont have a problem with easter or any other christian holiday. Just because i dont believe doesnt mean i cant take the good it has given me throughout the years. for instance, i think the idea of lent is silly, but that doesnt stop me from stopping by the parish to buy a plate of fish on fridays.....my god, that fish is good:) but i digress at my house, the kids and i do christmas....the tree, decorating, etc.....why? because its fun:) Christians certainly dont have a corner or the truth, but neither do atheists. I've always been leary of atheists who go overboard with little details. i'm more concerned with creationism and prayer in schools than worrying if taking my kids to an easter egg hunt is consistent with my atheism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EternalEquinox Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 The holidays aren't a big deal at my place. In fact, there is no church services involved! We mostly just eat what ever my grandma's cooking for dinner that day and I get a sack full o' candies. Never did celebrate holidays at a church and the only times I went inside one was when my dad took several times (non-holiday) to try to get me to "feel" Christ in me. And as for family grace, that only occurs when I go over to my uncle Dwayne's house (I have lots of uncles and aunts, it would be confusing to use just uncle/aunt) for the occasional holiday dinner and the woman he lives with who likes him is religious- I don't think she was fundy though. When everybody does grace I just hold the hands and stare hungrily at the food (Who doesn't love a good juicy stuffed turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy etc?! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
par4dcourse Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 I handle Easter like any other holiday: I eat waaaay to much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deidre Posted April 7, 2014 Author Share Posted April 7, 2014 Why oh why can't I multi-quote? Hmmm. Burnedout: That sounds like a great day planned. Better than a boring old ham. lol Cousin Ricky: Yeah, if grace is said, I will be polite. I don't ever want to turn into an angry atheist. lol That's debating theists left and right at every turn. I do debate if I feel like it, online. But, there is a fine line to walk that one must ask him/herself...is being right worth alienating this person whom I care about? Thx for your thoughts today. Freethinker, I agree...it's getting 'easier' to treat holidays in a more casual way. Not in a careless way, but I don't have the same angst I had when my 'transition' first began a few years ago. masomenos, haha your post made me laugh. yes, the details don't matter a whole lot, you're right. I hear you, great points! eternalequinox, I can't stop laughing. hahahaha That's a funny post. it's all so true, what you say. Your way of describing that, it's awesome. I like your light hearted view of it all. par4dcourse: lol I know, good excuse to eatttt. I'm glad I asked you guys this question, thanks for responding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellinas Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 For some reason, I can't get the multiquote feature to work...hmmm. lol... @ ellinas, I see. Do you feel obligated to attend your wife's church? Just wondering on that. Well, I've only just realized what the multiquote does - so, lets see if it works... The answer is yes, in the sense that my position is something she did not ask for, would not want and quite possibly fears as a possibility. I maintain a pretence and hope she'll find her own way out. That would be difficult for her however, due to her family ties in the church. In the Southern Hemisphere I see Easter as the last long weekend before winter really sets in, so a good time to go on a quick vacation or get the gardening/home repairs done while the weather is still half decent. Christmas is generally seen as an end of year celebration that signals the start of most people's summer vacation. Makes sense. I have come across Wiccans who basically reverse the significance of their quarter and cross-quarter festivals because they are in the southern hemisphere ... i think the idea of lent is silly, but that doesnt stop me from stopping by the parish to buy a plate of fish on fridays.....my god, that fish is good:) but i digress I was asked this year whether I intended to give up anything for Lent. I indicated that indeed I did. Austerity and asceticism... Edit - Yes. The multiquote did work... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roz Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Arggh... fundie family is prodding me to go to a "special easter presentation and meal." How would I handle easter? Dunno, it's my first easter as a sane person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seven77 Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 My family is not Christian, so we don't celebrate Easter as a religious holiday. Most of my family will gather at my grandmother's home in another state for some sort of Sunday dinner royale potluck. I will be working so no celebration for me. I suppose I will order in and watch something on the tv. Take a walk or something. When I was a believer, I went to all of the services at church and did the week of prayer meetings that the pastors encouraged us to do. Easter was stressful back then and this year I am looking forward to just relaxing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Jeff Posted April 8, 2014 Share Posted April 8, 2014 I saw the Easter Bunny at the Dimond Mall in Anchorage, Alaska today! I celebrate Easter with a lot of holiday candy. I love Cadbury Creme Eggs! Glory! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deidre Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 I saw the Easter Bunny at the Dimond Mall in Anchorage, Alaska today! I celebrate Easter with a lot of holiday candy. I love Cadbury Creme Eggs! Glory! LOL! Should be a holiday created to celebrate all things chocolate, I say! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Jeff Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 I saw the Easter Bunny at the Dimond Mall in Anchorage, Alaska today! I celebrate Easter with a lot of holiday candy. I love Cadbury Creme Eggs! Glory! LOL! Should be a holiday created to celebrate all things chocolate, I say! Amen, Sister! Glory! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkHorse Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I discovered a few years back already that these so called "holy days" where actually based on the pagan's celebrations, but I just told myself that as long as I was celebrating what I believed in, it didn't matter. Last Christmas, I chose to just see it as a time to get together and celebrate making it through another year, with gifts thrown in. Unfortunately we spent the day with my girlfriend's (who is still a Christian, and doesn't know how I feel these days) family, who went on and on about Jesus and his birth. I just smiled and zoned out, focusing on the delicious food in front of me, lol. This Easter it's all about the chocolates! A time to celebrate my sweet tooth, and the sweet parts of life. The best part is that we can make these holidays be about anything we want, or even nothing at all. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 I saw the Easter Bunny at the Dimond Mall in Anchorage, Alaska today! I celebrate Easter with a lot of holiday candy. I love Cadbury Creme Eggs! Glory! I saw the Easter Bunny at the mall near where I live! He's REAL!!!! I saw him!!!! I like the bunny that lays the Cadbury eggs! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blood Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 Invite everyone over, tie a lamb up to a cross, pour blood over it, and chant verses from Revelation for a couple of hours. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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