The Atheist Mama

So, things have been pretty exciting in the atheist blog community, huh? Four sites that I know of (including this one) were hacked and brought down. All of my backups were wiped out too. I don’t know if I should be pissed or feel honored… But I do know one thing - hacking blogs and their hosts? How Christ-like!! Your savior would be proud, huh? Does it piss you off that we all get back online? Do you know that these acts are criminal (in the US)?

I want to thank all of you who are blogging here. Allen, Amanda, Jim, Star and MomSquared (I don’t know if I’ve ever gotten your name) - thank you all!! LMAO, and feel free to continue if you would like! Things have been so nuts here… This is the first time I’ve gotten to sit down today (7:57 pm) - no exaggeration!

So tonight is Halloween. I went out before the trick or treating began to pick up some beer, and I passed an Evangelical church that I usually drive by on my daily route. There was a big shelter-like thing built on the front lawn. It looked like it was going to be a nativity. I was thinking it was a bit early for that… But as I got closer I saw the huge sign attached to it:

Not a trick, but the best treat ever.

I also noticed that it was a manger - complete with Mary, Joe and the baby Jesus (I think it was a doll). They were handing out candy to passers by. I have no doubt that they were slipping tracts into the bags of candy as well. I know the picture sucks. My normal digital is having battery issues, so I have to depend on my cell. But it’s better than nothing! :-)

Happy Halloween!!

Maybe it’s too soon to bring this up, but wasn’t Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, just a little over the edge?

Isn’t it safe to say he took a few too many risks, putting his life in danger more often than necessary? Don’t get me wrong, he did have many admirable qualities: he was energetic, dedicated, and sincere. I even sent an e-mail to his family with my condolences, and had tears in my eyes when Bindi, his daughter, spoke during his funeral.

But should we really be shocked that he died so young, or should we be amazed he survived as long as he did?

(By the way, the snake Irwin is fondling inches from his face in this picture is a Fierce Snake–only the most venemous snake in the world.)
–Allen

Since I’ve been designated the “Atheist Daddy,â€? I’d like to explore a parenting issue that isn’t discussed as much as it really should be: what to tell your kids about Santa Claus.

Is belief in Santa just innocent fun, or is there something harmful or even sinister about it?

At the risk of being branded something worse than an atheist–a dirty, stinkin’ grinch–I’d advise the godless fathers and mothers who celebrate Christmas to consider carefully before inviting jolly old St. Nick into their homes.

I think the most compelling indictment against the Santa tradition is that it involves lying to your children. Not exaggerating, not embellishing, but outright lying. And it’s not like you have to tell just one lie only one time, either; once you start lying, you find yourself telling more and more lies to counter doubts and questions. Then comes the day when your children finally figure out you’ve been deceiving them all along. They may shrug it off as innocent fun, but they may also see it as a huge betrayal of the trust they have in you.

But what concerns me almost as much as the blatant dishonesty about the Santa conspiracy is the way it fosters an uncritical acceptance of magic and miracles in very much the same way religion does. Skepticism is discouraged while faithfulness—believing without seeing—is the highest virtue.

And consider, too, how Santa himself has many attributes of a deity: he wields god–like omniscience to see us when we’re sleeping, to know when we’re awake, and if we’ve been bad or good; he controls space and time by visiting millions of houses in one night in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer; he rewards good (with presents) and punishes evil (with lumps of coal); and he answers “prayers� children send him in the form of letters. To encourage belief in such a fantasy undermines the ideals of reason and inquiry that atheist parents work so hard to instill.

This doesn’t mean, however, that Santa should be completely banned from Christmas. I think children can enjoy stories, music, television shows and movies about Santa while understanding he is just make-believe. They do need to know, of course, that other families take Santa much more seriously, and that’s all right for them. This way, you can preserve the integrity of your relationship with your children, promote the values of reason and honesty, and still have a merry Christmas.

–Allen

Well, sorry the site has been down for the last few days. Somehow the database became corrupt, and we had to restore from backup. Apparently it hasen’t been backed up for a little while. So we lost a whole bunch of posts and comments. :-(

There was also another issue that may suggest sabotage. No, this isn’t paranoia, a certain bit of information was missing that caused the site to disappear. That’s all I’m going to say about it at this point. We are in the process of digging for more info.

There is a possibility that it we may be able to back up the site with a more recent backup, but we’re not sure. So stay tuned…