Letting the Holiday Pendulum Come to the Middle

I like things in balance. I like moderation. I don't always eat in moderation, but I understand I'd probably be happier if I did. I know we can't always be balanced, of course, but sometimes the middle ground is a nice, mellow place to be.

As you know, I don't talk about politics, but if you asked me what I am, I'd probably label myself some sort of moderate. I think both extremes are unhealthy. When you start talking about diets where something is given up, I think moderation is a much more realistic goal.

Certainly there are areas where denial of something is for the best, where something like alcohol or cigarettes are completely harmful (alcohol is not completely harmful to most people, but to someone who can't control their intake, then it is definitely a serious problem).

Anyway, what am I rambling on about? Well, I was raised in a traditional dysfunctional christian household with Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. Even after I shed the heavy dead albatross of religion and became a godless heathen, I still put up a tree, gave christmas cards and gifts, and had christmas dinners with family.

Then a couple of years ago I completely swung the other way. I ditched the tree and decorations, told people I'd rather just spend time with them during the holidays than exchange gifts or cards (thereby abandoning the stress, guilt and huge expense), and basically just went to family dinners (well, can you blame me? Good food should never be forsaken!)

But a friend's status update on Facebook a few minutes ago reminded me that maybe my little black cindered grinch heart is still beating after all. My friend merely said that he was getting ready to celebrate Festivus and I thought, "Oh, that sounds like fun. A secular celebration!" So I don't have to seem like such a scrooge. I can just say I celebrate something different.

Atheist Solidarity Day June 21 An Atheist Holiday

I created this ribbon for Atheist Solidarity Day, An Atheist Holiday, which is June 21st. It's a Facebook group and I really like the idea of godless heathens having a holiday for themselves, just because! (see below for more info)

Edit: Now there's an Atheist Solidarity website!

Here's the description from the page:

Hoppy Easter, Fellow Heathens

Hoppy Easter, my fellow godless heathens! Today is the day we celebrate the death of a failed prophet from 2,000 years ago, with plastic grass, candy, chocolate and bunnies who lay candy eggs. I feel decidedly schizophrenic just thinking about it. Yet most people who believe this stuff have no problem with the cognitive dissonance.

So let's celebrate the zombie jew returning from the dead and plaguing us with mindless followers for thousands of years with funny pictures!

Proof that bunnies come from tomato patches, then lay candy eggs in April.

Ceiling Cat takes on the Easter Holiday by laying an egg

Sick and Miserable, Needing To Share a LOL

So I am sick and miserable with a nasty holiday cold. I can't sleep so I thought I'd share the latest Mr. Deity with you.

Happy Holidays Everyone! See below for funny holiday lolcats for even more cheer!

Mr. Deity and the Magic, Part Deux

Merry Freaking Catmas, Damnit.

Christmas Tree Nonsense

My friend AJ sent me this picture and I had to share it with you, after my brain stopped fizzling:



What is the reasoning here? "Let's celebrate the birth of our savior, but let's make sure we focus on his crucifixion at the same time? What would easter look like then? Would you have to mix holiday symbols there too?

Update: Here's the news story that explains the above image.

Of course, the bible mentions the "christmas" tree in the old testament, and they aren't too keen on it:

Jeremiah 10:2-4: "Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not."

Atheist Holiday Traditions

As atheists, it would be neat to have fun holiday traditions just for us. I saw this comic and thought I'd share it with you. Do you have any other ideas for things godless heathens could do for the holidays?

Found here.

Holiday Cards For Atheists and Nontheists

Hey Everyone! Sorry for the delay in posting but things got a bit crazy here. My friend Will and I were interviewed for WV Public Radio the other day and that kept me busy getting ready. I will be sure to link you to the broadcast when it goes live next week. It was regarding our billboard and new organization, the Morgantown Coalition of Reason, that I've mentioned. It's been keeping me quite busy.

Anyway, the other thing that has kept me busy is thinking of the holidays that are fast approaching. While I like getting together with friends and family and celebrating, I don't like the religious nature of it all (of course). One thing that really frustrates me is the card selection.

So I decided to try my hand at designing some irreverent cards! I dug through my favorite winter pictures that I've taken over the years, then came up with some messages for nontheists (with the help of my most awesome husband Butch, of course), and uploaded them to Zazzle.

I would like to do a few more, but these are a good start, I think. If you have ideas you'd like to see created, feel free to comment or Email Me.

~ Begin Shameless Promotion Here~

Just Be Good For Goodness Sake! Three cards with original photography by © ZeNeece and 3 slightly different messages.

The Cardinals Agree Card		Retain Your Reason This Season! Card		Snow Angel Jesus Card

See inside messages and matching stamps as well as postcards:

Hoppy Easter, Heathens!

Let's be honest, being an atheist on a religious holiday isn't very much fun. I have to behave myself around family. Half of them are great people, but the other half are fundamentalist bible-thumping hypocrites. It's tedious at the best of moments, torturous at the worst. So here is some easter humor for you:

If the zombie easter bunny attacked you, I'd feel eggstra sad.

Jesus Christ, King of the World, the Coming Resurrection, Sunday March 11, 2pm.... CANCELLED

Me so thorny... LOL!

Thanks for dying Jesus, this candy is AWESOME!

Happy Winter Solstice! Let's Celebrate With Lolcats!

It's that time of year, my friends. The Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year for us in the Northern Hemisphere, has arrived.

Thanksgiving and Family Fundie Nonsense

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I'm a bit bummed out that I don't have a great outfit to wear to dinner on Thursday. Like one of the 30 or so anti-religious shirts my husband Butch I have created on Zazzle and Cafepress with maybe some nice black cargo pants. I just don't think I could get one shipped to me in time. Maybe if I order soon, I can have something festive for baby jesus' birthday.

Oh if I only had the nerve. Maybe it's not nerve but respect for the people who throw the family get-togethers - Butch's aunt and uncle. She's a bit on the religious side, so I wouldn't want to upset or offend her. She's the kind of christian that I don't mind at all. I know she's a christian because she goes to church every Sunday, but we've never talked religion and she's never tried to push her faith on me. She is a good person, one of the few christians I know that I truly respect, because she walks the walk without talking the talk, if you know what I mean.

Her mother, on the other hand, she's nasty. The typical fundie moron that is unbearable and full of lies and hatred for anyone who actually thinks for themselves. As a schoolteacher, I just wish she wouldn't be so ignorant about simple facts like oh, I dunno, maybe that we're not a christian nation, and that the founding fathers created a separation of church and state very deliberately.