This is my annual Thanksgiving post ("annual" because I wrote it last year and I'm reposting it this year. It's companion piece is over at my old place). --PalMD
It's easy to see what Christmas means to an atheist---another day off work. What about Thanksgiving? This nominally secular holiday is practiced throughout North America by people of most faiths and cultures, and by those of no faith at all. But to whom are we giving thanks? Can "thank" be an intransitive verb?
This question falls into the same category as many ethical questions about atheism, such as "where do atheists get their morals?", but this is a little different. First, does celebrating Thanksgiving require "giving thanks"?
I'd argue that it does not. To celebrate the joys of family, the harvest bounty, and just not working is enjoyable in and of itself. There is no moral imperative to "thank" anyone or anything. The pure joy of celebration is enough for many.
But thanking people is a good thing. It cements social bonds, creates interpersonal harmony. It's a good idea to thank your family, your friends, and anyone else who has helped brighten your days. Why do that on one particular day? Why not? Devoting a day away from work to simply thank those around us is probably a good thing.
I am certainly not saying one should not thank God on Thanksgiving...that's up to you. If you are one of those who believes in a deity, go for it. But remember that there are many ways to "thank" without having to believe in God. While you thank your God, you may also want to thank your atheist neighbor who, despite not fearing hellfire and damnation, returned your mower.
So happy Thanksgiving to both my loyal readers. I'll be with my family filling my belly---heaven on Earth.
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While it's true that "North America" celebrates Thanksgiving, it's not the same event, nor even in the same month in Canada as it is in the US. (Ours was way back in the middle of October.) You have yourselves a good one though!
Thanksgiving isn't in holy books. It centres on getting together to eat yourselves silly.
Daniel Dennett sez: Thank Goodness!
Was an article in some paper a few days ago, with some rambling idiot talking about how atheists can't possibly celebrate Thanksgiving, and all the usually BS that goes with them having no morals, etc. about 30 comments followed, all of them from atheists, very few of them simply calling the guy and idiot, and lots of the pointing out to the article's author how many things, and people, one *can* be thankful for, without having to lay 100% of all of it at the feet of an imaginary friend. Not one single post came from a non-atheist or someone at all sympathetic to the idiot. Needless to say, the posting thread for the article got closed, for some reason... lol
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/11/thankfulness.php
"Where do atheists get their morals?" Kind of an empty question. Personally, I don't think in moral terms. I think in ethical terms and I think those serve me vastly better than would moral ones. The idea that some sort of "moral right or wrong" is peculiar to deists is about as dumb as a notion as I can imagine. Lots and lots of atheists manage to get through life without perpetrating outrages that seem to pop up embarrassingly often among some of the most prominent of the faithful. Or at least the self-professed faithful and "moral" watchdogs of our nation.
Giving thanks is really a way for us to pause our busy lives for a day and reflect on the good things that we have. Family, friends, home, country, etc. Such reflections should bring people closer. We should remind ourselves about the really important things.
People have many different definitions of "God". Perhaps one could think of God as all that is good (however one defines "good"). If one does not feel inclined to give thanks to a personal deity, it is certainly OK to feel thankful for all of the good things in one's life.
If not, then there's always football (unless you are a Lions fan).
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Thanksgiving Ritual by M. LaCourt
Last year I had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at my friend's house. I arrived just as we were being invited to take our places at the table and I felt a little awkward because I didn't know a number of the other guests. I looked toward the kitchen expecting someone to bring on the food. It sure smelled good, and I was hungry.
Imagine my confusion when my host looked around the table at each of his guests and asked, "Who wants to start?"
I knew there was supposed to be food, but I still didn't see any, not even a relish dish or a breadbasket to pass. What were we supposed to do? Pass imaginary bowls filled with imaginary mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey and cranberry sauce? No one spoke.
Finally my host's eyes settled on his seven-year-old niece.
Cindy stood up, cleared her throat and smiled at her brother. "Thank you, Jimmy, for teaching me to play games on your computer."
Jimmy blushed and said, "You're welcome."
Eric, a nice looking young man with bright blue eyes was next. He thanked his parents for giving him his first telescope when he was ten, and for the many hours they spent encouraging his appreciation for the wonders of the universe. I learned later that Eric had been accepted into a post graduate program to study Astronomy.
My friend, Ron, the host, said thank you to his wife. "I really appreciate the way you put up with my complaining, your understanding and patience with my cause fighting. I love the wonderful meals you prepare for me everyday, your companionship and your sense of humor. Thank you for being my wife."
Liz smiled and answered, "You're welcome."
I was beginning to get the picture. I had some thank you's of my own and I was getting heady with the whole idea but I decided to watch and listen a bit longer.
"Thank you for taking care of me when I had such a bad case of flu last winter, Rose. I know how terribly unpleasant that must have been for you, and you were so kind to put your own life aside for a few days to stay with me." Gina's eyes were damp when she looked at her daughter. "You were such a comfort." Then she turned to her son-in-law. "Thank you too, Karl, for fending for yourself and the kids while she was taking care of me."
"You're welcome." "You're welcome."
Then Rose stood up and walked over to where her husband was sitting. She bent down and gave him a kiss. "Thank you, honey, for working so hard and supporting us and giving me the opportunity to be the stay at home mom I'd always hoped I could be."
Chuck thanked his friend Bob for all the wonderful tomatoes and other produce Bob gave him during harvest time. He also thanked Jerry and Judy for teaching him how to make the world's greatest apple sauce. Jean thanked Patty for listening when she needed a sympathetic ear. Juan thanked his grandmother for the loan and told her he had put the money to good use. Sonja thanked her neighbor, Dorene, for the wonderful homemade mayonnaise and other goodies. And on it went.
I was thinking about all the wonderful people I wanted to thank. I guess I was drifting off in some sort of a trance when I heard the next person mention my name.
"Thank you, Marilyn." She said, "You helped my daughter and son-in-law through some rough spots in their marriage."
I waved my hand in a never mind gesture. "I was just doing my job."
Ron nearly knocked over his water glass as he stood to interrupt me. "No, no, no. That's not allowed." He shook his pointer at me. "These are the rules. You only get to say 'you're welcome'. If you explain it away you discredit the message and invalidate the sincerity of the person saying thanks. You just got a sincere 'thank you', Marilyn. Now, say 'you're welcome'." He sat down and fiddled with his napkin.
"Oops. I'm sorry. I mean" I looked at the woman who'd thanked me and said, "You're welcome." Then I smiled at my host and hostess. "And thank you, Ron and Liz, for inviting me to share in such a beautiful tradition."
Ron grinned. "You're welcome." Liz nodded, "You're welcome."
It took a full thirty minutes to get around the table and all the thanks-giving's. When we finished Liz excused herself to put the finishing touches on the food and Ron poured the wine.
Whom do you thank, if you do not thank God?
Is the question even important? I think that Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday precisely because it is neither religious nor nationalistic nor even particularly commercialized. (Yeah, you can buy your whole Thanksgiving feast, and yeah, there's "black Friday", but the actual holiday itself has largely evaded commercialization.)
What's important is to sit back, enjoy some quality time with your loved ones, and reflect on the good things in life. Give thanks. To a deity, if you believe in one. To your parents. To your spouse. To your children. To your friends. To whoever cooked the feast. To yourself, even. I think it's even worth just generally thanking the universe for existing. Yeah, it's inanimate and had no particular say in the matter, but I'm still glad it's around, because I think it's a pretty cool place to be alive in. ;-)
It bothers me that many churches have attempted to co-opt Thanksgiving. But it doesn't bother me a lot, because the holiday has resisted their efforts. My old church had Thanksgiving services. They gave up after a few years; nobody shows up when they're still busy digesting turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, stuffing, salad, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, apple pie, pumpkin pie, strawberry-rhubarb pie, pecan pie, mashed potatoes, wild rice, etc, etc, etc....
There is something wonderful in the simple pleasures of food and good company, and Thanksgiving celebrates that. That's why I love it so much. ;-)
Marilyn LaCourt, I love that tradition. I think next year, we will start that at our house. People do not say thank you to one another enough, and we need to be careful that we don't get out of the habit. So thank you for sharing that. ;-)
You're welcome.