Given that this week is Passover, I decided to ask the Judaism 101 panel to share some of their thoughts on the holiday, and on what it meant to them. This post is the result of that conversation.
A Reflection on Celebrating Christmas as an Atheist
December 26, 2012 By 20 Comments
Do you know what I realized this year? The way I celebrate Christmas with my family today is really very little different from the way I celebrated Christmas in my family of origin growing up. Given that I grew up in a devout evangelical family but that my husband and I are not religious, this at first seems rather odd. In the end, though, I think it simply highlights just how secular Christmas is for most Americans, even those who are religious.
To Those Who Make the Magic, Here’s To You!
December 25, 2012 By 7 Comments
I remember Christmas when I was a kid. The music, the cookies, the decorations, the gifts. We didn’t do Santa, but it was still a very magical time. I remember how much I looked forward to Christmas. It always seemed like it would never come!
What nobody told me as a kid is just how much was involved in creating that magic.
Balancing Fear, Love, and Family
November 27, 2012 By 24 Comments
Visiting my parents’ house is always strange. There are such happy memories around every corner, mixed in some weird way with memories of pain and heartbreak. And then there are my younger siblings, the majority of them still at home, still living the life I knew growing up. Others have grown and left home, but still return for the holidays.
Thanksgiving, according to Mark Twain
November 22, 2012 By 1 Comment
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I’m sure you’re all enjoying your Turkey and pumpkin pie, but I thought I’d offer something to read in case you need a break from family and frivolity. You see, Mark Twain had a thing or two to say about Thanksgiving. Enjoy!
What Thanksgiving Means To Me
November 21, 2012 By 23 Comments
Thanksgiving is upon us. In this post I share some of my family’s traditions and encourage readers to share some of their own.
Atheism through the holidays, part 4: How to deal with religious relatives
January 2, 2012 By 24 Comments
Atheism through the holidays, part 3: Family, generosity, and the true meaning of Christmas
December 23, 2011 By 4 Comments
Most Christians want Christmas to focus on the birth of their savior. Mass marketing, on the other hand, forwards the idea that Christmas is about getting stuff. Children come into contact with all sorts of ideas about holidays, but it is a child’s parents that set the tone for the holiday celebration at home. So [...]
Atheism through the holidays, part 2: What to do about baby Jesus
December 20, 2011 By 7 Comments
My parents homeschooled me in part to “shelter” me – to keep me from what they considered “bad influences.” They carefully monitored what movies we watched, who we were friends with, what we read and learned, and where we went or what we saw. The goal was to raise us to share their beliefs, unadulterated [...]
Atheism through the holidays, part 1: Santa Claus
December 14, 2011 By 21 Comments
When people ask, “but how can you do Christmas without Jesus?” it makes me want to laugh. The other week Sally and I walked through our local mall, and she gave the following monologue: “Look, Christmas lights! Christmas tree! Look, snow! Presents! Look, more Christmas lights! Look, horse! Look, SANTA CLAUS!!!” The truth [...]
Vision Forum, Christmas, and a Marketing Scheme
November 28, 2011 By 16 Comments
I am subscribed to “vision forum” on google, which means I get an email each day with every new internet article or blog post containing the words “vision forum.” Lately, essentially every new article or post has been something on all of Vision Forum’s Christmas sales. Fundamentalist and evangelical blogs across the segment of homeschooling [...]
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