Will my opinion count, even if I'm from southern Europe?
1) What is the general feeling towards the Holiday by you as an atheist?
It's a nice time of the year. Some people seem to be a bit cheerier... others are too worried about presents.
2) What are your feelings towards the display of Christmas lights on houses?
Not a common occurrence around here. I don't mind.
3) What are your feelings about Christmas displays in stores?
They do what they have to do in order to sell. I don't mind.
4) What are your feelings about the mad dash for gifts?
The wife takes care of them... at least the ones for the kids, which, at 3 sons and 5 nephews gets to fill up the cart.
5) What are your feelings about it being a federally recognized holiday?
On some households, people wait until midnight on the 24th to open the presents and then enjoy them a bit...
On other households, people only open the presents on the 25th.
So, either way, it's nice to have the day off, so you can either sleep a bit longer, or enjoy your newly acquired presents.
It's all about the presents!
6) What are your feelings about people telling their children that Santa is real?
I don't do that to my kids. My wife says it's baby jesus that brings the presents... Of course, taking after their father, they know when we've been off to buy the presents.
7) What are your feelings towards Carolers or Christmas music on the radio?
Carolers don't exist around here...
christmas music on the radio would be better if they weren't the same songs every year... oh wait, I don't listen to radio anymore... don't care!
8) What are your feelings about how non-atheists perceive atheists?
Around here, atheists are tolerated. Most teenagers identify as atheists so we're kind of taking over in a few years time.
9) Do you as an atheist celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah?
"celebrate", as in give presents, have a family dinner on the 24th and another family lunch on the 25th.
10) What are your feelings towards the Christmas people who start decorating their house before Halloween?
Don't have Halloween... is that on the 31st October? or 30th November?
Bah, who cares?... Each does what they want with their place when they want....
I, sometimes, see christmas decorations in the Summer! Some people never take them down!
11) If you could ask those that celebrate Christmas to change one thing (or several things) about it - what would it (they) be?
Place a price cap on presents!
12) At what point in your life did you realize you were an atheist?
At the age of 10... well, I only learned the term "atheist" when I was 12 or 13 or 14...
13) Did you ever have a "coming out" moment as an atheist? How was it received?
HAHAHAHA, no. People around me never forced anything on to me and then.... my brother told them... and life went on without so much as a bump.
14) As an atheist, what is your goal or intention about informing others that disagree with you about your stance?
It's not a stance. It's being intellectually honest, considering all the available information about what can be called the "divine realm", where gods, ghosts, angels, demons, souls, etc inhabit... It seems that place only exists in people's minds... like LotR's Middle Earth.
If I ever inform others of my lack of belief in their god(s), it's so they stop trying to make me adhere to their rituals. Rarely had to use it, worked every time.
15) If you do not celebrate Christmas - do you do anything in particular on Christmas day to celebrate anything at all? Family? A nice dinner with a loved one?
So... my family dinner and lunch, as well as the exchange of presents are not celebrations? Damn...
The Solstice is really going to be pissed!
There you go.
One thing I'd like to add is that atheists are just people who do not believe that any god exists. Apart from that, each is an individual and you can find wildly differing attitudes towards any other aspect of life.
Which is the same as saying we're normal people.... with the quirk of not believing in the existence of divine entities (which is not the same as believing they don't exist... but let's leave that for some other time).
1) What is the general feeling towards the Holiday by you as an atheist?
It's a nice time of the year. Some people seem to be a bit cheerier... others are too worried about presents.
2) What are your feelings towards the display of Christmas lights on houses?
Not a common occurrence around here. I don't mind.
3) What are your feelings about Christmas displays in stores?
They do what they have to do in order to sell. I don't mind.
4) What are your feelings about the mad dash for gifts?
The wife takes care of them... at least the ones for the kids, which, at 3 sons and 5 nephews gets to fill up the cart.
5) What are your feelings about it being a federally recognized holiday?
On some households, people wait until midnight on the 24th to open the presents and then enjoy them a bit...
On other households, people only open the presents on the 25th.
So, either way, it's nice to have the day off, so you can either sleep a bit longer, or enjoy your newly acquired presents.
It's all about the presents!
6) What are your feelings about people telling their children that Santa is real?
I don't do that to my kids. My wife says it's baby jesus that brings the presents... Of course, taking after their father, they know when we've been off to buy the presents.
7) What are your feelings towards Carolers or Christmas music on the radio?
Carolers don't exist around here...
christmas music on the radio would be better if they weren't the same songs every year... oh wait, I don't listen to radio anymore... don't care!
8) What are your feelings about how non-atheists perceive atheists?
Around here, atheists are tolerated. Most teenagers identify as atheists so we're kind of taking over in a few years time.
9) Do you as an atheist celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah?
"celebrate", as in give presents, have a family dinner on the 24th and another family lunch on the 25th.
10) What are your feelings towards the Christmas people who start decorating their house before Halloween?
Don't have Halloween... is that on the 31st October? or 30th November?
Bah, who cares?... Each does what they want with their place when they want....
I, sometimes, see christmas decorations in the Summer! Some people never take them down!
11) If you could ask those that celebrate Christmas to change one thing (or several things) about it - what would it (they) be?
Place a price cap on presents!
12) At what point in your life did you realize you were an atheist?
At the age of 10... well, I only learned the term "atheist" when I was 12 or 13 or 14...
13) Did you ever have a "coming out" moment as an atheist? How was it received?
HAHAHAHA, no. People around me never forced anything on to me and then.... my brother told them... and life went on without so much as a bump.
14) As an atheist, what is your goal or intention about informing others that disagree with you about your stance?
It's not a stance. It's being intellectually honest, considering all the available information about what can be called the "divine realm", where gods, ghosts, angels, demons, souls, etc inhabit... It seems that place only exists in people's minds... like LotR's Middle Earth.
If I ever inform others of my lack of belief in their god(s), it's so they stop trying to make me adhere to their rituals. Rarely had to use it, worked every time.
15) If you do not celebrate Christmas - do you do anything in particular on Christmas day to celebrate anything at all? Family? A nice dinner with a loved one?
So... my family dinner and lunch, as well as the exchange of presents are not celebrations? Damn...
The Solstice is really going to be pissed!
There you go.
One thing I'd like to add is that atheists are just people who do not believe that any god exists. Apart from that, each is an individual and you can find wildly differing attitudes towards any other aspect of life.
Which is the same as saying we're normal people.... with the quirk of not believing in the existence of divine entities (which is not the same as believing they don't exist... but let's leave that for some other time).
