Being a Thankful Atheist

[rug]

Posted: 11/27/2013 10:07 am
Staks Rosch

Thanksgiving is a holiday in which people are expected to give thanks, but who should we give thanks to? Religious believers offer their thanks to their deity of choice, and as a result, I commonly hear from religious believers that there is no one for atheists to be thankful to since we lack a belief in such deities.

This couldn't be further from the truth. Atheists aren't thankful to imaginary deities; we are thankful to actual people. Not only are we thankful to the loved one in our lives, but we are also thankful to all the people throughout history who have contributed positively to our way of life.

It is important to communicate our thanks to those in our everyday lives who often get taken for granted; maybe it is a family member, friend, or perhaps just the friendly cashier you chat with every so often at the supermarket. Far too often people tend to only express their thanks to the dead. I hate to break it to the religious, but the dead can't appreciate that thanks because they are... dead! This is almost certainly the only life there is and so on this holiday we should make a point to communicate our thanks and appreciation to those who are still alive.

The way I see it, Thanksgiving is a Humanist holiday. We should be thanking people all the time. However because we often get busy with our own problems, lives, and daily hustle and bustle, we tend to forget to share our feelings of gratitude. Thanksgiving is a great time to remember to do just that.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/staks-rosch/being-a-thankful-atheist_b_4347514.html

[dimbear]

1. Go a little extra heavy on the tip jars and whatever you leave your server, and even

especially kick in to food drives, if you can.

[pinto]

2. Thanksgiving, as I understand it, is a harvest festival. Common among many cultures.

Secular, religious or whatever. Agree with the author, it's generally a humanist holiday. And it has correlates far beyond monotheistic communities. I think it's widely seen that way. It's one reason I like it so much.

While the popular American take on Thanksgiving's roots overlooks a lot of the Original Americans' and European immigrants' relationships - I think the gist is right. It's a harvest celebration.

(aside) The author seems to make two conflicting statements -

"Not only are we thankful to the loved one in our lives, but we are also thankful to all the people throughout history who have contributed positively to our way of life. "

"I hate to break it to the religious, but the dead can't appreciate that thanks because they are... dead! This is almost certainly the only life there is and so on this holiday we should make a point to communicate our thanks and appreciation to those who are still alive. "