Comments on: Who Are You Thankful For?

By: Merit-bound Alley » The Atheist Thanksgiving

Merit-bound Alley » The Atheist Thanksgiving — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:14:24 +0000

[...] The Friendly Atheist, in response to an article on Times-Herald.com, asks the question: What are you, as an atheist, thankful for? Specifically, the question is in response to the fairly ignorant opening of the article: Thanksgiving must be a terrible time for atheists. They have no God to thank. [...]

By: Anonnie Mouse

Anonnie Mouse — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:34:45 +0000

I admit it, I laughed out loud all alone in my house when I read that article quote.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my mom and dad for doin’ the nasty so that I could exist. I’d like to thank my friends for understanding and accepting me just as I am, my spouse for his love and honesty, and my children for being completely awesome. I am thankful that I have enough food to eat, a roof over my head, and live in a relatively peaceful place, so that my family can be safe. I am thankful for both my health as well as the health of my family members. I am thankful for having a creative mind. I am thankful for quick wit and that little smile my spouse gives me when I catch him looking at me out of the corner of my eye.

No deities necessary. Besides, if we want to explore the real roots of Turkey Day, we should be giving thanks to the corn maidens and such, and call it what it is: Potlatch.

By: Tim Bob

Tim Bob — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:13:40 +0000

i thought thanksgiving was about turkey and Indians??!? im confused. Smallpox blankets? eh idk i give up.

By: Marisa

Marisa — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:40:52 +0000

Apparently Mr. Griffith is not only mistaken about atheism, he also believes his own bible states that the lion will lay down with the lamb. It actually states that the wolf will lay down with the lamb.

I feel sorry for anyone that believes anything he has to say.

P.S. I am thankful for family, friends, my spouse, my job, and many other things that christians are thankful for. I’m just not thankful to an imaginary being for them.

By: Christophe Thill

Christophe Thill — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:19:52 +0000

I’m glad I’m not American, so I don’t have to celebrate Thanksgiving. Glad, mind you, not thankful, because there’s nobody to thank for that.

Same as the beautiful sunshine today. I’m not thankful for it. If I had someone to thank, then that someone would also be to blame for the icy rain that was pouring yesterday. But there’s no such person: it just happens.

But being thankful to people (well… to mammals : let’s not forget cats) is perfectly ok with me.

By: Cathy

Cathy — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:28:00 +0000

There are really good reasons not to celebrate thanksgiving, like the history of racism and imperialism that it perpetuates. A number of historians attribute the origins of this holiday not to any interracial coorperation at all, but a 1637 celebration of the genocide of the Pequot people. There is basically no evidence that the thanksgiving story myth is based on fact. What we know is that as early as 1615 there was a bounty to kidnap and enslave Wampanogs. At the same time, small pox blankets and other small pox deaths killed 70% of the Wampanogs and 90% of a neighboring tribe. It was 1620 when the so called “pilgrims” arrived at plymouth. In 1621, there was an all white feast, after which two native men were brutally murdered, one of whose head was removed and placed on a stake as a symbol of white power. In 1637 there was a “thanksgiving” feast given in celebration of the genocide of the Pequot people. The governor said “This day forth shall be a day of celebration and thanksgiving for subduing the Pequots.” In 1676, colonists in Massachusetts declared a public day of thanksgiving, once again to celebrate the genocide of Native Americans.

So, while I have many things in life that I am glad of, and I think family and community are important, I will never celebrate this disgusting holiday of genocide.

By: Gabriel

Gabriel — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 03:18:59 +0000

1. I am thankful for my children and that they live with me and that this year I have them for thanksgiving.

2. I am thankful that my wife is willing to put up with me and loves my children.

3. I am thankful that my parents don’t make us pray on thanksgiving.

5. I am thankful that my sister is visiting from Australia with her really cool and fun husband.

5. I am thankful for fine scotch whisky.

6. I am thankful for the annual broadcast of Alice’s Restuarant.

7. I am thankful for cool crisp fall days.

8. I am thankful for pie and whipped cream.

9. I am thankful that I have a job and a house and a car.

10. I am thankful for Isaac Asimov, Carl Sagan, the internet that allows me to interact with other atheists.

11. I am thankful that I do not live in terror of upsetting an imaginary supernatural creature that will send me to an eternity of torture because I did something wrong even if it is only really minor.

12. I am thankful that I was able to get custody of my children without having to hide my atheism.

By: Nancy

Nancy — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:28:25 +0000

Oh, this is too easy.

1) I am thankful to my parents for raising me to be a loving, responsible, caring person.
2) I am thankful to my sister who helped me care for my aging and ill parents for 8 years.
3) I am thankful to my BIL who is my closest atheist friend and treats me like a sister not like a SIL.
4) I am thankful for my friends who let me be me and not what they expect me to be.
5) I am thankful to my headmaster for allowing me to teach at his school for my 35th year.
and
6) I am thankful to my cats for loving me unconditionally (esp when I feed them on time)

By: RobL

RobL — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 16:59:53 +0000

Richard – I wish I could be as restrained as you are. I am afraid my response was not as ‘christian’ as yours….

By: Nick Awesome

Nick Awesome — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 16:44:30 +0000

I’m thankful for vegetable soup. I Freaking LOVE vegetable soup! I’d love to give a big ole bear hug to whomever invented it!