I Can Do Christmas Too

     The other day on Facebook, I posted a simple inquiry: What do you want for christmas? I expected materialistic answers like an iPad, cute shoes, and the latest books on the New York Bestsellers list. Or maybe even intangibles like love, quality time with family, and world peace. Instead of gifts, I got an incredibly condescending answer from a member of my former church. She said, "You don't do Christmas".
     It is widely known in my former church that I'm an atheist, so I immediately understood what she was implying, but the fact is, its just not true. I still celebrate christmas, I just don't buy all the christian and pagan crap behind it. I don't have to believe in the Roman god, Saturn from saturnalia, but I still decorate a tree every year. I don't have to believe in the Scandinavian god, Yule, to eat a yule log. I'm not a Druid, but I still hope for a kiss beneath the mistletoe. I don't have to believe in Odin's flying night riders, to sing about Rudolph and his reindeer friends. And I don't have to believe that some magi gave gifts to baby Jesus in order to give gifts to my friends and family.
     As an atheist, the holidays that were once seemingly only meaningful because of religion, don't become any less meaningful just because the religion part goes away. I still appreciate them for what they always truly were: time spent with the people I love. I am not offended by nativity scenes in people's yards or crosses plastered all over commercials screaming anything other than the axis tilt being the "Reason for the Season!" I simply let people believe what they wish and celebrate how they'd like. I still wrap gifts that I know will put smiles on my family and friends' faces, place them under a decorative tree and anticipate the morning they rip them open. I will always sing "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and watch White Christmas with my mom as we have done traditionally every year since I was a teen. And I will always tell my family how much I love them on Christmas day, because that is how I do christmas.

Merry Christmas
Happy Kwanzaa
Happy Hanukkah

Peace & Love
Chantal Wallace

I Do!

   

     I have heard some religious people argue that marriage is an institution ordained by god between a man and a woman, which naturally leads to the question: "Why would atheists want to get married?" Well for starters, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Marriage is the "state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by the state" so no its not a religious anything... While many couples may get married in churches, mosques, etc. because of their religious affiliation, this doesn't mean that theists should have a monopoly on matrimony.

     If you don't want to get married by a minister, find a judge to conduct your ceremony. Don't want to get married in a church? Try a court house, a decent sized ballroom, or if you have the room for it, get married in the comfort of your own backyard. There are plenty of ways to do it, and religion is not necessary to get the job done. As for reasons to get married (and this goes for anyone, not only atheists) there are several:

~Sharing employer benefits (i.e. medical insurance)
~Filing joint tax returns
~Receiving veterans' and military spouses benefits
~Obtaining joint adoption rights
~Special visitation rights in hospitals, prisons, etc.
~Residency benefits (if your spouse isn't already a citizen)

...and the list goes on. I don't think the question is why should you get married (if you're considering it). The question is why shouldn't you? Think about it...

Peace & Love,
Chantal Wallace