How do atheists celebrate Christmas? I posed that question to my friend Michael Shermer, the editor of Skeptic, during our recent Cal Tech debate. (My two debates with Shermer will soon be up on the web and I'll link to them on this blog.) Shermer replied that he puts up Christmas trees, and his kids sing Christmas carols--even the religious ones--and he exchanges gifts just like everyone else. Here is a guy who is not a believer but who at least respects what Christianity has done to shape our civilization and our world.
Then there's Christopher Hitchens, whom I've known over the years and like just as much. Hitchens, alas, seems to be letting his atheism get to him. First, the poor man is never seen without a drink. As a wine aficionado myself, I cannot begrudge Hitchens his affection for the spirits. In fact, a priest friend of mine once observed that wine is evidence of how much God loves us. It seems odd, however, that Hitchens feels the need to imbibe even when he's on national television or giving a public speech. If you watch our debate on C-Span or on my website dineshdsouza.com, you'll see that Hitchens reaches for his glass with the same alacrity that fundamentalists reach for the Bible.
Recently Hitchens appeared at a "secular Christmas party" thrown by the libertarian magazine Reason. Many libertarians are basically conservatives who are either gay or druggies or people who generally find the conservative moral agenda too restrictive. So they flee from the conservative to the libertarian camp where much wider parameters of personal behavior are embraced. To the sensible idea of political and economic freedom many libertarians add the more controversial principle of moral freedom, the freedom to live however you want as long as you don't harm others. Hitchens, needless to say, is at home in this group.
Hitchens' contribution to the party was to read an irreverent Christmas ditty by the lyricist Tom Lehrer. Remember Lehrer? He's a bit of a relic, like the Monty Python and the Rocky Horror movies. When I was eighteen and a freshman at Dartmouth I found Lehrer and Monty Python very sophisticated and amusing. Most of us, however, outgrow the juvenile sense of humor that they represent. Hitchens also offered a brief summary of his view that God is a celestial dictator. He portrayed God as a kind of Kim Jong-il and Jesus as a kind of little Kim waiting to inherit the throne. So here we see another portrait of Atheist Christmas: bitter guys making sophomoric jokes and staggering out of the room inebriated.
Yes, I agree that many nominal Christians have also forgotten the message of Christmas. Even so I wonder: what's the atheist equivalent of Christmas? Darwin's birthday? For many libertarians I suppose it's the day they get their tax refunds.
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Reader Comments ( Page 6 of 54)
76. Jason, unless you are using something like The New Dictionary of Christian Theology, purpose is defined as a function, an aim, determination or an anticipated outcome, while meaning is an understanding of reality as we perceive it. Yes, something has to give meaning and it's called reason. In your entire argument, you are overlooking the importance of logic. Understanding of the world around me can be entirely based on scientific knowledge. It needs no higher power, design etc. Just like formation of morality requires only instinct and logic, no higher power. It's very simple, really. The problem is (I think) that you have connected purpose to a higher being, i.e. your purpose must come from something bigger than yourself. By my definition, purpose is the result of guidelines derived from logic and compassion (both instinctive and learned) by which you structure your own life.
emma at 7:33PM on Dec 21st 2007
77. Brian, did Plato have a higher form of consciousness than his peers?
JefFlyingV at 7:35PM on Dec 21st 2007
78. Or perhaps, the hard-core atheists are right, and I'm misled somehow. I can accept that. I always doubt my own views anyhow. Thye DO sound fantastic, after all. So, I may well be wrong in my thoughts. I acknowledge this, and that's why they're not beliefs.
But no way the christians are right. No way. It's all too silly in the light of modern thought. And as a previous poster said, "I cannot believe in a god or worship a god that is not as moral as I myself am..."
Brian at 7:35PM on Dec 21st 2007
79. How different would our world be if we could smell like a bear? If we could smell a horny girl frm five miles away, the world and society would be vastly different.
a born atheist at 7:36PM on Dec 21st 2007
80. Far better minds than mine have over the centuries asked, and have decided that there is a God
_________________
Or maybe simpler minds than yours haven't been able to come up with anything better/catchier to answer life's questions, gave up on trying to explain and decided that god was an effective placebo? Or maybe more manipulative minds than yours hatched an evil plan to control society by making up a higher power that's above all morality and could never be proven? Maybe the manipulative minds just fed off the simple minds and there you have it: church and those who believe what the church tells them.
emma at 7:44PM on Dec 21st 2007
81. Brian, let me offer a nugget to your ponderings.
Observation. Scientists have shown that perception changes the quantum reality of the universe. The very first single celled organisms were capable of changing their universe when they were able to recognize the conditions around them and act in response. They could move to warmer or cooler parts of the primordial soup. They could move towards nutrients, or away if they were nutrients for something else. That most primitive of intelligences what the foundation of conciousness.
And as conciousness became more aware, those who could exploit those possibilities became more successful. A fish had to be aware that there was some place without water before it could go there and come back. We talk about evolution as a thought free process because we do not intentionally and deliberately seek out genes, but don't we look for spouces and mates with traits we value?
Somewhere along the line, that observation turned to awareness. A dog is aware it is sick, even if it might not understand sickness. It takes what actions it knows to alter its universe for its better... resting, perhaps eating grass, because that is all that it knows.
And somewhere further down the line, awareness changed into intelligence. To observe the universe as it is and to recognize patterns, and from those patterns to predict the results of action. An monkey is aware it is hungry, observes termites, and intelligently deduces that it can use sticks to withdraw the termites without crushing the mound. He knows that termites did it before, they'll do it again, and probably on other mounds too.
All of this has lead up to the current pinnacle in conceptual evolution: creativity. Now we can not only recognize patterns of occurance, but we can suppose entirely fictional patterns and deduce results. We can compare what is with what could be. We are able to substitute literal reality with subjective metaphors. There is no literal Freedom, only an idea of freedom of which we are aware.
I'll even suppy another conceptual evolutionary thought coming after creativity. Perception. All animals are limited by the perception we are born with; the natural organs we evolved with. But with tools, humans have learned to percieve that which is otherwise undetectable by our senses, such as atomic and magnetic theory. By adapting our own natural perceptions we are able to apply abstract notions to natural phenomenon we can not personally see, like gravity.
So what is the next personal leap in human conceptual evolution? Maybe telepathy.
Not that I necessarily share your idea, but you might find it useful.
Somber at 7:44PM on Dec 21st 2007
82. Mr D'Souza,
The celebration that occurs on December 25 is indeed older than Jesus. The Norse celebrated winter soltice, with evergreens, burning logs, and a great feast. This was called the celibration of Yule.
I wonder where they got that from?
The history chanel runs a special show every year on the history of christmas. You should watch it, perhaps you might learn something. I know its not in the bible, but I think the information is fairly reliable.
If, for one day christians stop killing others, then ,maybe, christmas is worth celebrating
mac65 at 7:45PM on Dec 21st 2007
83. Mr D'Souza
I fart in your general direction!
mac65 at 7:48PM on Dec 21st 2007
84. 77. Brian, did Plato have a higher form of consciousness than his peers?
JefFlyingV at 7:35PM on Dec 21st 2007
------------------------
I don't know. I'm not your god. Plato certainly seemed to be smarter than most men of his day, so perhaps he did represent the upper edge of logical, rational consciousness as far as complexity is concerned. Perhaps Hawking might represent such today. But there are countless others, and I'm sure that such was true in Plato's day as well.
And perhaps other, less famous individuals in Plato's day might have prepresented the heights of emotional consciousness, as Plato and his type represented the heights of the logical, rational side... Both are equally important, evidently.
I don't claim to have it figured out, I just think it's a likely scenario as compared to all the others. It even explains more than scientific materialism can, but includes all of that as well. I use Occam's Razor, I guess.
It all fits.
Brian at 7:49PM on Dec 21st 2007
85. Didn't think you were my god, I was following your musings and was curious. thanks for responding.
JefFlyingV at 7:52PM on Dec 21st 2007
86. Somber, a pleasure reading that. I don't require that you agree with me. I'm not sure that I agree with me sometimes.
Honestly, I'm like the least irrational person in the world, but I've been presented with many observations that are not wholly explicable under the current scientific paradigm. And since others can see it too, I'm not crazy. So where does that leave me?
To where I am now.
It's incredibly complex in a way, very hard to "get" or understand at first, but after a while, it starts to make more and more sense, not less.
At any rate, life is interesting. More so than if these events hadn't happened to me. So I try to remain objective somehow, and continue to observe.
Brian at 7:59PM on Dec 21st 2007
87. Religion, all religion, makes no sense.
I don't come from a scientific background. I don't come from a philosofical background. I'm probably not the sharpest knife in the drawer(I don't spell well).
It, religion, just doesn't make sense.
I do know a little about control. I see religion as a way to control a lot of people./
mac65 at 7:59PM on Dec 21st 2007
88. god is an obsolete concept that is interfering with the evolution of our species. There is no proof of god except the weak excuse that all we have to do is look around at all the beautiful things to see his splendor, because he created everything, oh... wait... he didn't create famine, pain, loss, suffering, that must have been his evil fraternal twin Satan. god bless satan damn god
BabyHeyZeus at 8:02PM on Dec 21st 2007
89. Ok Emma, let's see. I would agree that reason does give the meaning to words. Maybe reason could possible give the meaning to life. The ambiguity of the definitions can be interpreted many ways. I guess thats to keep the dictionary from seeming too far to the left or right.
I hate to get to this, but your view of morality and purpose will always be looking at the slippery slope argument. If there is only logic, then what is the point of anything. To leave a legacy? So what, it means nothing. The truth of the matter is, upon looking at it only by logic, you agree that everything is pointless.
I guess you want to live a good moral life because it'll make you feel better. So what? I say based upon your logic, have fun and do whatever you want without regards to your neighbor. But I guess you'll say I missed the whole point of what you were saying. That's the same thing the theist will say when you tell him he's wrong.
jasondrhm at 8:02PM on Dec 21st 2007
90. If I may ask, what observations?
a born atheist at 8:05PM on Dec 21st 2007