An atheist at Christmas Mass

[edhopper]

I went to a Christmas Mass yesterday because my niece was in the nativity pageant. She was a dancing angel.
Though I still find taken the birth story as anything but myth is nonsensical (so much is conflicted with facts and is ahistorical) I did think that it works very well as a fable. The destitute nature of the family being forced to travel while Mary is close to birth, the beyond humble place of the birth. The wise men and the shepherds acknowledging how special the birth is. There are good lessons there in a world that to this day sees people born to high birth as better and more deserving than the rest of us.

So here is an atheist acknowledging that looking at the nativity in a certain way van be good.

Best to ignore those who think that it is literally true.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. 1989

I attended a Christmas Eve service in rural Virginia. The minister propounded that there are no atheists on a maternity ward.

He provoked a letter in response from me.

I beg to take issue with your promoting inaccurate information with your parishoners.

"There are no atheists on a maternity ward." There was an atheist in the congregation on Christmas Eve, myself. * * * Your statement reflected that you have not had many conversations with atheists, freethinkers, humanists, etc. and/or you haven't visited many maternity wards. Having a baby does not promote a belief in a God and miracle-making myths. It is a biological reality.

* * *

In closing, I ask that you refrain from repeating this atheist-maternity ward assumption until you have completed more research and have amended your outlook before you share it again with people who consider you to be an authority. You need to give your flock the truth, not an assumption.

Otherwise, you gave an outstanding Christmas service.

[edhopper]

2. I have found that atheist understand believers

much more than believers understand atheist.

My favorite is that we are angry at God.

[lindysalsagal]

7. Yeh! And, don't get me started on The Easter Bunny, The Great Pumpkin, Unicorns and Leprichans.

They let me down every time!

[gay texan]

3. How did that go over? n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

6. No response whatsoever.

I was expecting something like biblical verses to fortify his premise, but nothing.

Tho' I doubt I truly gave him food for thought.

[Tesha]

4. I love the fable, it is a stirring story and makes some feel all warm and happy

People needed these fables as winter closed in and days were short, but as people have advanced, their gods did not and believing these fables as fact is childish.


I still love the stories, even though I know few facts are used in them.

[rasputin1952]

5. As an atheist myself...

I find the story as a myth as well.

But as with all enduring myths, it touches the heart. Someone born in obscurity, poor, and with little means under a powerful dictatorship, makes an impact on the world.
The opposite of the Buddha, who was born into great wealth, and gave it up to seek the truth (sitting under a tree for years is a bit of a stretch).

The message is the same live life, be just and kind. Don't sweat the things you have no power over. Be humble and leave no one behind, and realize that forgiveness is an attribute.

I enjoy the pageants, the children are neighbors of mine. There is no pain in watching children at play, far too often, it's the adults who screw everything up.

[Karadeniz]

8. Most of the gospel writing is intended to be decoded. Ive been so successful, being able to

being able to conquer the truths hidden in the parables for centuries, that I could somewhat identify the "denomination" that wrote the gospels. Based on Gnostic cosmology, I just knew the virgin birth was allegory. The Gnostics called the Demiurge, the creator of the physical world, the Carpenter. His mother was the virgin deity, Sophia. I was certain I'd found Gnostic clues, fingerprints they'd left for the elect. BUT, as a non-NDEer whose experience kicked me down this endless investigation, I'm open to messaging from the other side. So, I've plugged in channeling of Mary Magdalene, Jesus and deep trance communications by Dolores Cannon. I couldn't believe it, but all the spirit messages confirm the literal Virgin birth, Mary being able to attune her vibration rate to a high spiritual frequency. I still don't get how that would work, but that famous Japanese physicist may be onto something. He was giving a speech on quantum physics and during the Q & A time, someone asked if he thought Jesus really existed. He gave an amused smile and said, "Well, if he didn't before, he does now," applying his quantum physics data. So, have generations of literalists over the centuries brought about some sort of alteration to akashic reality?
I really don't like untidy ends!!!!!!

[Crunchy Frog]

9. That's the approach that Unitarian Christmas services take.

There tend to be lots of atheists and agnostics in Unitarian congregations.