Giving thanks, the humanist way

As an atheist, I don't have a god to thank for the "blessings" in my life.  There are many things I'm fortunate to have in my life: living in a region with abundant natural resources, dwelling in a relatively safe area without the daily threat of violent crime, and having good general health that's at least partly due to my genes, to name a few.  Absent belief in any higher being that chose these circumstances for me, I have to chalk them up to a mere accident of circumstance.

What I can be thankful for are the actions of other people that have had a positive impact in my life.  Some have done great gestures of generosity; others, small acts of kindness.  Some have done nice things for me intentionally; others have indirectly helped me while helping themselves.  Some have given material aid; others have given kind words, or a smile, or even a challenge for me to meet.

I give my thanks to every person whose actions have helped me get to where I am today: the family that raised and provided for me, the friends who were there for me throughout school, the teachers who challenged me to learn and think critically, the co-workers who brave the proverbial trenches by my side.  I give my thanks to my wife, who has helped me learn as much about myself as I have about her.  I give my thanks to the strangers who invented the tools I use to express myself, the generations of our civilization who have preserved free speech, and the soldiers who stand ready to protect this society.

Last month, my fellow HCCO member Derrick posted this Dial-A-Humanist message on the HCCO blog, discussing the benefits of adopting an "attitude of gratitude" (cheesy slogan, yes, but accurate).  It's something I thought about this evening as I sated myself with slow-cooked turkey breast, stuffing, yams, and pumpkin cheesecake.

We humans have one another thank for every good thing we have in our lives.  We're the ones who keep one another safe from danger.  We're the ones who work to secure food and resources for one another, and carve niches for one another in the economy.  We're the ones who challenge one another to succeed and help one another in times of need.  We're the ones whose kind words and companionship keeps one another happy.

Happy Thanksgiving, my fellow humans.

On the various "types" of atheists in today's secular movement

It has come to my attention more than once in the past that there are people out there who don't quite understand what it means to be an atheist.  A dictionary definition of the term only tells you what we don't believe; the connotations regarding what atheists do believe are many and diverse.

One of my newer readers, Chakam, commented that he believes atheists can be classified into two distinct categories.  To paraphrase his comment:

On one hand, we have the stereotypical vitriolic, "God-hating" atheists who seek only to disparage Christianity at every turn.  On the other, we have the rational, intellectual atheists who simply reject the idea of any supernatural entity in absence of convincing evidence.


I don't think that this assessment is entirely accurate, though his caricature of the vitriolic atheist is perhaps just an exaggeration of the truth regarding certain individuals.  I don't think it's as simple as he makes it - I think there are at least four broad categories one could use to describe the attitudes of different atheists toward religion.

I'm going to stick with four categories in this post.  Just for fun, I'll also assign each one a card suit* to symbolize the inherent attitude toward religion.  Also just for fun, I'll use alliteration.

*If you're not familiar with the symbolism behind the four traditional card suits, read up on it and you'll see why I thought they were appropriate here.  Remember, kids: cartomancy can't really predict your future.  Friends don't let friends fall for woo.