ATHEISTS DESERVE THEIR OWN HOLIDAY—NOTHINGDAY

Catholic League ^ | December 23, 2004 | William Donohue

[NYer]

 

December 23, 2004 

ATHEISTS DESERVE THEIR OWN HOLIDAY—NOTHINGDAY 

Catholic League president William Donohue released the following comments on the Christmas wars today:   

 

“Robert Tiernan, a spokesman for the Freedom from Religion Foundation, is demanding that atheists be represented in next year’s Parade of Lights in Denver.  He wants a ‘winter solstice’ float instead of a Christian one.  He deserves better.

 

“Atheists deserve to have their own holiday—Nothingday—the purpose of which would be to honor what they believe in, which is absolutely nothing.  Nothingday would be held on the day of the winter solstice and would be celebrated by holding nationwide conferences explicitly designed to accomplish nothing. 

 

“For example, there would be seminars and workshops on the virtue of standing for nothing.  Participants would be invited to watch a video on the meaning of Nothingday and would then discover—to their utter delight—that there’s nothing on the tape.  Tables outside conference rooms would be set up, though there would be nothing on them.  Breakout sessions would allow participants to huddle in corners for the express purpose of doing nothing.  When they reassemble, their team leader would be able to report that they have accomplished absolutely nothing.  Naturally, no minutes would be kept. 

 

“They would then repair to the cocktail lounge where they would all be given empty glasses.  Dinner would follow, though nothing would be served.  At the awards ceremony, those who best represent the spirit of nothing would, of course, be given nothing for their efforts.  Best of all, the keynote speaker wouldn’t open his mouth, allowing everyone to just sit there, staring endlessly into space.

 

“Quite frankly, this sounds a heck of a lot better than the conferences I’ve been to.”

 

The Catholic League is the nation's largest Catholic civil rights organization. It defends individual Catholics and the institutional Church from defamation and discrimination.
 

[cosmicassassin]

I completely agree.

The reason people argue the "under God" in the pledge, is because a campaign by the Knights of Columbus wanted the words there. I really don't care. I think that we should spend more time trying to solve real problems, such as the quagmire in Iraq, the school systems, or health care before losing any sleep about the "under God" in the pledge. I think sometimes people just have too much time on their hands.

[sleepy_hollow]

Because you are refusing to believe in the Absolute. You are denying the Absolute by claiming you believe in an Absolute. It is insane to think this way. You may wish this is logical, but, in fact, it is not logical.

The only Truth, and the only Way, is the Lord Jesus Christ. He said so Himself. So, that makes him either a liar or God incarnate. Up to you to decide, but if I were you (and I used to be in many respects, at least experimented with atheism), I would NOT rely on my own ability to detremine there is no God and there are no absolutes. How can you determine this?

[dmz]

I apologize in advance if you take offense to this, but that was really ridiculous.

Where did you get the idea that atheists believe in nothing?

There is a difference between not believing in an all powerful God, and believing in nothing. You should at least try to learn what something is before you try to knock it down.

[Raycpa]

how do we know what is the one true religion. Is it Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, or (insert your religion here).

They are either all false or one of them is true.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

This essay could be titled "A Day in the Life of Bureaucracy."

[sleepy_hollow]

Of course, I would expect your response. Your thikning is insane, and therefore, my thinking appears ridiculous to you.

In fact that is partly reason why you cling to your illogic. Because you want to think my beliefs ridiculous.

You are wrong that there is the difference you claim. They are one and the same.

So, let's start down the path - what do you believe in, assuming it is something, as you assert, and not nothing, as I assert?

[dmz]

I think it is very difficult to discuss this with you. You (seem to) hold to this unshakable belief in the binary. There's no middle. It's this or that, and that's the only possibility.

With all due respect, that's just as insane as anything else you are describing.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

You should at least try to learn what something is before you try to knock it down.

Yes, but he sounded very authoritative when he did it. That ought to count for something.

Religion is a choice. To prove God is to destroy God as that makes Him finite and, therefore, no longer God. If you are happy with no God, so be it. Most of us, sooner or later, recognize an emptiness that only a belief in a Higher Power can assuage. Perhaps it will happen to you, perhaps not.

[sleepy_hollow]

I fully agree in principal, but I would take issue with the word "religion." People confuse "faith" with "religion" and that creates a lot of confusion.

"Faith" is what you believe. "Religion" is an organized group of like-minded believers, or those who profess to hold to certain principals or tenets of a faith.

Faith is personal. Religion is social.

While organized religious activities are important, faith is the key. It starts there.

[cosmicassassin]

The only Truth, and the only Way, is the Lord Jesus Christ. He said so Himself. So, that makes him either a liar or God incarnate.

But the prophet Mohamed said the same thing about Allah. Hindu's believe that Lord Brahma created the universe and set it in motion, and the others have their respective true one God. I'm merely asking how do you know absolutely, that Christianity is the one true religion. Being a person of science I will rely on my own ability to question. Not questioning one's own faith or beliefs I find worse of all possible paths. I admire my friends who are willing to question their respective religions, and still chose to believe.

You are denying the Absolute by claiming you believe in an Absolute.

This sentence makes no sense to me. It's like saying that I don't believe in oranges because I believe in oranges. Which is not the case. I don't believe and a or many God, therefore I don't believe in God. This statement most summarizes my beliefs, so it is not illogical.

[reagan_fanatic]

LOL!! Too good!

Celebrating nothing is something the athiests should be real good at.

Merry CHRISTmas!

[escapefromboston]

I have to agree, most Atheists are normal upstanding members of society. The problem would be with the militant/extremist branch of Atheism. It's sorta like Islam. Maybe your normal run of the mill Atheists should speak up against the wacko extremists.

[freepy smurf]

Is Nothing sacred?

[sleepy_hollow]

In fact I do, but the fact that you cannot tell me what you believe only supports my position. You are unwilling to admit that it devolves to "nothing."

There is, in fact, no middle ground. There cannot be.

But, why not try to argue against my position, insted of just running away by insulting me or ridiculing me? If you are right, then you have nothing to fear, and you could expose me as a fake and do a service to the viewers of this forum.

[cosmicassassin]

Why can't all of them be true or none? Both or equally probable as one of them being true.

[spodefly]

I don't believe in Atheists.

[HELLRAISER II]

I think that DMZ as well as most people believe that a superior being put us all here, Christians as well as the rest of us. But who is to say that the Bible is the end all be all of existence, my understanding is that men wrote the bible and as such may or may not be totally correct. To say that all non Christians are all idiots is as inconsiderate and unfair as the people who are doing their best to destroy our faith in Christmas and in God.

[Raycpa]

Why can't all of them be true or none?

It is either one or none because they all make exclusive claims. For example, Christ said "no one can come to the Father but by me".

[cosmicassassin]

The problem would be with the militant/extremist branch of Atheism. It's sorta like Islam.

Not to start a fight, but it's also sorta like Christianity also. It's all religions as far as I can tell. There will always be the militant/extremist in a branches of religions that by singling one out, I think is unfair to that religion.

[Area51]

We already have it...Independence Day.

16 posted on 12/23/2004 8:53:04 AM PST by BikerNYC
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Actually you are sadly mistaken. Independence day is a Day that we Americans celebrate our Independence from the King of England for a More free Nation in which we enumerate out rights endowed by our Creator.

Read the Constitution once. You'll find it quite full of little tidbits that will drive Secular folks nuts.