Joey Nelson: Atheists Have No One to Thank on Thanksgiving
It seems very clear to me that when they sat down to write something about atheists and atheism, they decided to rely entirely on their religious ideology instead of spending even a second doing the most basic research. What this means is that the "atheism" and "atheists" they write about aren't the atheism and atheists of the real world, but rather are just props in a religious ideology. These Christians aren't writing about real people with real histories, real feelings, and real interests, but cardboard cutouts that can be invested with whatever nonsense the religious ideology happens to require at any given moment.
Joey Nelson writes something at his Spiritual Questions Blog which is, in my opinion, a very good (or perhaps very sad) example of this phenomenon:
Perhaps, in an unguarded moment, an atheist will look up this Thanksgiving and say, “Thank you” to the One who has made their life possible. Otherwise, the thing about atheism is that you have no One to thank.
Did Joey Nelson ask any atheists about what or whom they have to thank on Thanksgiving? Certainly not. Did Joey Nelson spend even a minute doing a single search on Google or Yahoo? Of course not. Joey Nelson is relying entirely on his own ideology to answer his own question — instead of investing any time or effort to find out what or whom atheists might thank, he assumed that without any gods to thank, there can't be anyone to thank.
Now, it should go without saying that asking an atheist about whom they might have to thank or doing a Google search aren't unusual or unexpected activities. You don't have to have a Ph.D. in philosophy or science to think of doing such things. So why didn't Joey Nelson bother? I can't answer in his specific case, but my experience with so many Christians behaving in basically the same way leads me to believe that they simply don't care.
What real atheists feel, think, and do doesn’t matter. To a certain extent, we aren't real human beings with real feelings, thoughts, desires, and ideas. We are objects in their ideology and targets for their apologetics rather than independent persons who might have thoughts and positions that don't match up with what the believers' ideology tells them. If by chance some example of what we actually think intrudes on their narcissistic musings, it's all too common for them to deny that this can be true and insist that we "really" think or believe whatever their favorite apologists told them.
I think that it's fair to reduce matters to a fairly simply formula: people who care at all what you actually think, believe, or feel will ask or make some effort to find out. People who don't care what you actually think, believe, or feel will just make lots of assumptions about you based on what they have read or been told by others (and those others almost certainly don't know you) and insist that you fit into some hole created by their ideology. Anyone who says that they care what you actually think or feel but then proceeds to tell you what you really think or feel without asking is not being truthful or honest about your or their intentions.
Comments
Why, it’s specifically the atheists that have plenty of people to thank. Christians like this wouldn’t exactly give credit where credit is due, like thank their parents, friends, or themselves.
In the end, you have to wonder why these individuals feel compelled to slander and lie. I don’t spend my days attacking theists, and have done nothing to earn their anger, hatred and scorn. I try to live my life, and leave others be, except when my rights are threatened.
It seems to me to be a weakness of faith. If they were secure in their faith, in their beliefs, they wouldn’t need to attack those who didn’t believe. They are so insecure, their faith so fragile and breakable, that they have to lash out, insult, demean, and lie about those who merely do not believe as they do.
Just as homophobes often turn out to be closeted, self-hating homosexuals, I expect many of these people have very little real belief in what they profess. Perhaps they’re the real closet atheists.
Why would an atheist give thanks to a being that he or she doesn’t believe in? It sounds very much like Joey Nelson thinks that deep down, all atheists really believe in God, but are just in denial.
Does Joey Nelson only thank God on Thanksgiving? If so, it would seem that he believes that God is the source of all things good in this world, and that humans are wicked sinners who do no good (except through the grace of God). Very sad.
My wife and mother-in-law commented how Thanksgiving must mean nothing to me, since I don’t “believe in anything.”
That was a bit of a shock, and I could only respond that the day is still meaningful even though I don’t believe in supernatural deities. It’s a reminder to be appreciative of family, friends, that I have a stable job and a reasonably successful financial status that enables us to help our kids when needed, pay our bills, etc., when there are many who are unable to do that.
Although the roots of Thanksgiving are giving thanks to a god (much like, believe it or not! the roots of Christmas actually have to do with Christ - crazy I know!) i didn’t realize that god was the only person/thing that deserved thanks.
My mistake. Perhaps they should rename the holiday. OR perhaps they should institute another holiday (hey, maybe on the same day even!) where we could thank people for things. What a concept!
Actually feeling offended by the concept that I have “no one to thank” = snarky response to stupid statement.
I certainly know I don’t have people who think that way to thank for anything except prejudice and small-minded, illogical, insensitivity.
I’d say thanks for those un-admirable qualities, but hey… I don’t have anyone to thank.
This is my answer to Joey”
Joey,
I have me to thank for all the good stuff that has happened in my life.
I also have me to blame if I screw up, which I haven’t.
You seem to think that without a mythical entity to watch over you and guide you, you will be lost. Have you no sense of personal accomplishment? I would doubt that you would allow just any one to tell you how to run your life, yet you allow a pastor or priest to dictate to you. Your pastor or priest is in the business of religion and will definitely tell you what to do. Why not just think for yourself for a change. I have never been involved in any kind of religion in my life and have never regretted my life style. I am 74 years old and have lived a good responsible life without a divine force to guide me. I do not fear what you fear, Hell, and I do not expect what you expect, Heaven.
Until your God shows up and does something useful for humanity, so then and until then I will not think he exists.
I am not alone in this, there a millions of people that want proof of this god’s abilities and are not prepared to accept the bible’s inconsistencies as a realistic belief system.
The god of the three desert religions doesn’t cut it, Joey.
This god doesn’t make any more sense than Zeus, Thor,
or any of the thousand other gods that have had their chance throughout history. They have all failed miserably
at doing a god-like job for their believers. That would be because none of them have ever existed except in the minds of uneducated and delusional people. At least that what I believe, take it or leave it..
Theists view athiests like they view gays and lesbians:
children rebelling
no matter how old you are or your life experience
clearly you are a willful child to not follow god’s plan and marry an opposite gender person and be moral
they cannot accept, imagine, comprehend or understand
that atheists and/or gays and lesbians
are one or both precisely because they have done a lot of thinking, consideration and searching
and come to a different conclusion about themselves and life than the normal - by which I mean average - person who is a heterosexual beleiver
we are simply not thinking adults who are self determined
which is different than “free will” but choosing to follow god’s path so not really having any free will
This reminds me of people,especially jocks, thanking god for their achievements when in reality it was their own talent and hard work that resulted in their success.Go figure.
I am thankful to many people for their positive influence on my life. I’m even thankful to my dog for her unwavering loyalty. But a vulgar, mythical “god”? What a joke.
Now… I am an outsider and I never have understood this “Thanksgiving” bit.
From my understanding it is saying thank you God for not having us go on starving as you’ve been letting us do heretofore. Or letting us stay here in the land of the Indians, who, incidentally, have been awfully kind, and a damned sight more helpful than you have been up until now..
From my perspective I think it was the Red man who should have been be thanked not spanked as happened later.
Those early Limeys came, stole, raped, killed and plundered. Yeah I guess it could be understood why one would try to apportion blame in the name of thanks to some unknown, unseen, unanswerable, imaginary being.
tomedgar@halenet.com.au
Thank the turkey, who gave up its life so that you may live.
I’ve always felt guilty and ashamed to thank a so-called “Almighty God” who capriciously “gives” ME so much while leaving so many others to languish.
Yo, Joey…..it’s possible to be thankful FOR rather than thankful TO.
This year, as in years past, I was, and am, thankful FOR my general health and well-being, as well as that of most of my family and friends. I was, and am, thankful FOR the ongoing opportunity I have to enjoy my life and theirs, especially because, as an atheist and non-believer in anything supernatural, including survival of or recovery from death, I believe all our lives to be precious, finite things. I was, and am, also thankful FOR the general peacefulness of the corner of the globe I’ve been lucky enough to inhabit for a half century plus.
As busy as life gets, it seems wise to have periods of time, like Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S., set aside by custom for enjoying and expressing this thankfulness. Else, it seems likely it’d fall into the category of “things most of us intend to get around to, someday”. And we all know when “someday” usually comes.
@Tamar
I agree with Tom Edgar on this. I don’t know why this holiday would be about giving thanks to God. It’s not like the food and all the other resources Pilgrims needed fell from the sky, isn’t it? And why do you feel the need to rename a holiday or invent a new one for thanking people? After all, it’s not called Godthanking, but Thanksgiving, which makes it perfectly neutral with regards to whom you’re giving thanks to.