|
|
|
sts60
Skeptic Friend
141 Posts |
Posted - 12/12/2008 : 21:04:57 [Permalink]
|
Well, Merry Christmas to all of you, however or not you celebrate it, and whether the term is simply a shared cultural reference or something else. I'm Christian, but "Christmas" has come to wrap up so many meanings and cultural contexts over the centuries - as discussed above - that I wouldn't presume to say what it might or might not mean to anyone.
Thought it was a good time to pop in and say hi, since I haven't been around in a while. |
 |
|
|
H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
Posted - 12/12/2008 : 21:46:08 [Permalink]
|
Thank you, sts60. The same to you and yours.
|
"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
|
|
|
Simon
SFN Regular
USA
1992 Posts |
Posted - 12/12/2008 : 22:33:02 [Permalink]
|
He, Marf, I just saw that. Thought it might interest you.
Although; I think I got there from your blog page, so you might already be aware of it already. |
Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
Carl Sagan - 1996 |
|
|
|
Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
Posted - 12/13/2008 : 02:29:04 [Permalink]
|
| Fred Phelps chimes in on the war against Christmas. Santa will take you to Hell! |
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
|
|
|
|
Simon
SFN Regular
USA
1992 Posts |
Posted - 12/13/2008 : 02:38:32 [Permalink]
|
Well; there we go.
[Edited to fix link - Dave W.] |
Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
Carl Sagan - 1996 |
|
|
|
Siberia
SFN Addict
Brazil
2322 Posts |
 Posted - 12/13/2008 : 11:45:57 [Permalink]
|
Originally posted by marfknox
That doesn't really excuse me since I have a little $15. plastic and metal tree from the Dollar Store.
|
I, too, have a plastic variation of the plant. The reason is simple: I live in Brazil. Those traditions are imported way secondhand here. Many of them don't really apply to tropical weather... but we do it anyway. Why not? It's fun and harms no one.
Here at home we don't celebrate it beyond presents and my mother's fine cooking. We don't decorate the plastic tree anymore, though my sister does have a pretty one. Maybe when the nieces and nephews infest the household... |
"Why are you afraid of something you're not even sure exists?"
- The Kovenant, Via Negativa
"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs."
-- unknown
|
|
|
|
marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 12/13/2008 : 17:44:39 [Permalink]
|
In response to the Friendly Atheist post linked to by Simon: Yeah, I just heard today that our atheist coalition is responsible for a major change in the free speech zone happening next year. You see, originally we wanted to put up another Tree of Knowledge like the Freethought Society. But we didn't have the funding, so we opted for a sign similar to the AHA bus campaign that read "Is belief in God necessary? Let's be good for goodness's sake!" But there were legal problems with just putting up a sign opposed to a symbolic display. So we ended up putting up (today) a stand with four sides, each which reads "Peace on Earth, from your friendly neighborhood atheists, freethinkers, and humanists", the www.phillycor.org website and logo, and on top of the stand is a globe of the earth.
Well apparently when the city checked with the lawyers about our sign idea, it opened a whole big can of legal worms, and the city says that next year the only display allowed will be required to have 24 hour supervision by someone in the group. Obviously nobody is going to have volunteers available to watch a sign in the middle of winter for month. So basically there will be no nativity scene or menorah next year.
And we don't have to spend our resources and volunteer hours on our own atheist display. We can focus more on community building and service. Yay! |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
|
|
|
|
Simon
SFN Regular
USA
1992 Posts |
Posted - 12/13/2008 : 17:54:53 [Permalink]
|
Originally posted by marfknox
We ended up putting up (today) a stand with four sides, each which reads "Peace on Earth, from your friendly neighborhood atheists, freethinkers, and humanists", the www.phillycor.org website and logo, and on top of the stand is a globe of the earth. |
I like that!
Elegant; original and a great positive message for the season!
Could you post us some pictures when you have the time?
I am curious of seeing what it looks like. |
Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
Carl Sagan - 1996 |
|
|
|
H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
Posted - 12/13/2008 : 18:51:04 [Permalink]
|
Originally posted by marfknox
Obviously nobody is going to have volunteers available to watch a sign in the middle of winter for month. So basically there will be no nativity scene or menorah next year. |
Oh, I wouldn't count on that, Marf. Give church members, many of them retirees, the chance to prove their devotion by taking shifts protecting baby Jesus from evil secularists in the dead of winter? They'll be tripping over each other to sign up for that. They'll each be trying to out-martyr one another.
"I stood watch all last night."
"Oh, just one night? My husband and I pulled a double shift."
|
"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
| Edited by - H. Humbert on 12/13/2008 18:52:34 |
|
|
|
Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2008 : 13:35:09 [Permalink]
|
| Sadly, I agree with H. Humbert on this. Having been in the Pentecostal Church for 10 years, I know there are congregations that are up for the task. It might even inspire ecumenical cooperation. |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
|
|
|
marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2008 : 15:29:14 [Permalink]
|
The nativity scene in Philadelphia is not put up by fundamentalist churches. It's put up by the Knights of Columbus, representing some pretty mainstream congregations. Parking in center city is a bitch and we are talking about staying up all night in the middle of winter in a major city. I have a hard time imagining many retirees being up for that.
One thing I'm thinking is maybe the city will accept a camera for supervision, in which case everybody that can afford that can stay. |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
|
|
|
|
marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2008 : 15:44:42 [Permalink]
|
| I'll post pics of the "Peace on Earth" sign tonight. |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
|
|
|
|
Simon
SFN Regular
USA
1992 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2008 : 17:08:26 [Permalink]
|
| By the way, so far, my reply has not been posted, so maybe H. H. was right. |
Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
Carl Sagan - 1996 |
|
|
|
marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
|
|
Simon
SFN Regular
USA
1992 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2008 : 20:11:20 [Permalink]
|
Wow; it's great stuff.
I really like the photo-realistic treatment of the globe.
Really; really nice. |
Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
Carl Sagan - 1996 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Merry UnChristmas blog
