Neon Genesis Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 There's a new poll up at http://atheism.about.com/b/2008/03/27/poll...ar-holidays.htm that asks if atheists should have their own holiday. I voted that I didn't really care if there was one, though I disagree with the article's reason for not having one. I don't see why one couldn't have a holiday for purely secular reasons seeing as how we already have plenty of secular holidays that we celebrate like Independence Day and Martin Luther King Day. It's just not important to me to have a holiday because I honestly don't see what the point of it would be unless we did something like Atheist Awareness Day and did pride marches and things like that but I don't know how much difference such a day would make in the long run. That's not to say I wouldn't celebrate an atheist holiday if we did have one, it's just not an important issue to me at the moment. What are your thoughts on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted March 27, 2008 Super Moderator Share Posted March 27, 2008 A holiday would just add credence to the idea that atheism is a religion. Still, if it means a day off work . . . - Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neon Genesis Posted March 27, 2008 Author Share Posted March 27, 2008 I forgot about the poll feature, and I realized this would make a good poll for this site, so I edited the original post to add a poll. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The-Captain Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 I'd have to say no for the reason Chris stated. If everyone else gets a holiday fine, but atheists don't really need a distinct one IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 A holiday would just add credence to the idea that atheism is a religion. Still, if it means a day off work . . . - Chris In the US there are valid legal reasons for gaining religious status. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted March 27, 2008 Super Moderator Share Posted March 27, 2008 A holiday would just add credence to the idea that atheism is a religion. Still, if it means a day off work . . . - Chris In the US there are valid legal reasons for gaining religious status. That is so true. But atheism is not a religion, and not being religious myself, I wince at the hypocrisy of such a concept. - Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Ah, I don't mind. Especially if I was to collect a few dollars for a discrimination suit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosier Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Every day can be Atheism day! Including Dec. 25 Mithras I mean Jesus b-day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white_raven23 Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 I consider Halloween a totally secular holiday. Just wish we could have the day off for it. I don't want to see "Holiday Wars" in the workplace over that one. It's bad enough there are companies who try to push their single employees into working the "family-oriented" holidays just because they don't have spouses or rugrats. Now what? You get to take off work of Atheists Day, but have to work christmas day as a trade-off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lib_dem_womyn Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Personally, I would prefer to get rid of all holidays and just take a certain number of days of yourown choosing. That way there is not an annual distortion of the markets and the market would simply even out with people not waiting until December to make purchases of clothing, appliances, and electronics, etc. Hey that is a terrific idea! It not only kills the xmas time 'economy' but the valentines and other made up BS. Also if someone is religious they can take the days they want, and I can take advantage of the holiday times when people will be gone. How then would government offices be staffed? And would we continue to have a weekend, or would a weekend be two days you pick to have off as well? Do you think it would have an adverse affect on the economy though? You know retailers profess to make X amount of there profits during that time. I don't know how true that is though. I think retailers who feel even the slightest pinch would end up hurting their most overworked and underpaid employees. To me Xmas IS a secular holiday! All of them are! I think there is some merit to this idea though, I doubt the rest of the world would go for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitchu Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 unless we did something like Atheist Awareness Day and did pride marches and things like that I'm now utterly consumed with the idea of an atheist pride march! What kinds of floats would we have? What would the bands play? Would we have a "Miss Atheist," and, if so, what would the contest categories be? What would we wear (aside from bullet-proof vests )? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neon Genesis Posted March 27, 2008 Author Share Posted March 27, 2008 I'm now utterly consumed with the idea of an atheist pride march! What kinds of floats would we have? What would the bands play? Would we have a "Miss Atheist," and, if so, what would the contest categories be? What would we wear (aside from bullet-proof vests )? Of course we would have Bad Religion play at the pride marches and we could wear those "Thank God I'm An Atheist" t-shirts. Or maybe some of us could dress up in monkey suits to represent evolution? And we could have Golden Compass-themed floats for the kids. Now I want atheist pride marches, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShackledNoMore Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I don't know about atheists, but Pastafarians celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day on Sept. 19. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asimov Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Atheism isn't a conglomerate belief system. Secular Humanism is, or Objectivism, or Eudaimonism...etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. S. Martin Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I don't think I'd need a bullet-proof vest. This is Canada, after all. But I'd need the "armor of the Lord" kind of psychological breastplate of faith for the rest of the year forever after to deal with the psychological weaponry that could be used against me. Re the general public, I'm still in the closet and that's where I plan to stay. Seems in this town if you're white and middle-aged, esp. if you dress like a Mennonite, you're expected to be Christian. I have experienced too many cold rejections--warm friendly voices and faces turning cold and hostile when they found out I wasn't a Christian. I've been seeing a counselor recently and I found ways to get around telling him my religious position even though he asked very directly. Put him on the impression that I've got my own unique theology. And that is correct. It just so happens that it's not Christian. I don't think he needs to know that for the purpose of our meetings. In the fall, the local humanist group, of which I am a member, did a presentation at the school where I did my BA. I could not bring myself to attend because that would have outed me. I guess I'm for keeping a low profile and personal survival. Might depend on where a person lives and how much energy you've got, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upstarter Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I don't know about atheists, but Pastafarians celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day on Sept. 19. I had no idea the Pastafarians had co-opted Talk Like A Pirate Day! We have celebrated it faithfully for several years now. As for an atheist holiday, again I wonder why we would celebrate our non-belief in something. What's next, I don't believe in unicorns day? Heather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disEnchanted Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I think an atheist awareness day would be better than an actual holiday. I'm an elementary school teacher and use the holidays to make students more aware of culture and history through understanding of the origins of the holidays. I use Christmas to talk about the different ways that people around the world celebrate. I use St. Patrick's day to discuss Ireland, leprechauns, etc. Martin Luther King Day is great for discussing human rights. I think an atheist day would be a way to get the message out to even very young kids who are brainwashed into christianity that there ARE people who don't have a religious belief system AT ALL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitchu Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Then maybe instead we should have a "Freethinkers History Month," and plump for PBS to saturate the airwaves with documentaries on our contributions and oppressions through the ages, just like they do for "Black History Month." After all, such a concept would expose that we're equally regarded, alongside black folk, as peripheral to actual history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Nice one P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonHorn Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Hell, Christians would just take it over like every other holiday. There would be prayer marches, candle lit vigils, and preachers of all sorts talking about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twincats Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Hell, Christians would just take it over like every other holiday. There would be prayer marches, candle lit vigils, and preachers of all sorts talking about it. Yeah, can't you hear the xtians praying already? Anyway, such an idea would be soundly and promptly shouted down by the Focus on the Family types who'd use the mere suggestion as an opportunity to don the sackcloth and ashes and whinge about how discriminated against they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disEnchanted Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 I've gotten several e-mails from christians that state that atheists already have a holiday: April Fool's Day. Isn't that christian of them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eejay Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 I've gotten several e-mails from christians that state that atheists already have a holiday: April Fool's Day. Isn't that christian of them? Uh..I kind of really think the joke's gonna be on them in the long run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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