Blue Christmas?

DrKoresh said :

poetix said :

Yes, it’s Christmas, so someone has to do the simpleton atheist act. Shame you couldn’t find a more appropriate thread for it, though. But perhaps you don’t care about the kind of problem this service is obviously trying to address.

#1, I know that St John’s in Reid organises a lunch for anyone who wants to go on Christmas Day, and that they would want volunteers.

Ease-up Poetix! I hope you were just referring to that atheist as a simpleton and not atheists in general. I do my very best to be respectful of others beliefs, and I try to be a good human being even if there is no-one keeping tally in the hereafter. Did you mean all of us, or just the irritating ones who think that religiosity is linked to stupidity?

Just this one. Most atheists are thinking, intelligent people, who don’t find it necessary to make silly comments on threads like this one! Please accept my apologies if I offended you. Wasn’t intended as a go at atheists in general. Most of my life *I* have been an atheist, so it can’t be linked to stupidity (-: Usually.

Great post LSWCHP. What is Riot Act coming to? Next cyclists and motorists will join hands and serve scones to the judiciary.

Another way to help is just to invite someone to a Christmas lunch. It sounds like it could be awkward, having a non family member at a family lunch, but its not really. Especially if you have lots of relatives with their spouses and kids etc who you never see, a friend is more fun than the random relative who starts spouting Alan Jones rhetoric after the third bundy. Or invite two people so the one person doesnt feel too on his/her own (but dont try a blind date!)

poetix said :

Yes, it’s Christmas, so someone has to do the simpleton atheist act. Shame you couldn’t find a more appropriate thread for it, though. But perhaps you don’t care about the kind of problem this service is obviously trying to address.

#1, I know that St John’s in Reid organises a lunch for anyone who wants to go on Christmas Day, and that they would want volunteers.

Ease-up Poetix! I hope you were just referring to that atheist as a simpleton and not atheists in general. I do my very best to be respectful of others beliefs, and I try to be a good human being even if there is no-one keeping tally in the hereafter. Did you mean all of us, or just the irritating ones who think that religiosity is linked to stupidity?

Whether you’re an athiest, monotheist, polytheist, unitheist, or agnostic, a time of year when families are more likely to make the effort to get together can leave those without such in a ditch of despair.

Nice parable, LSWCHP.

screaming banshee said :

poetix said :

LSWCHP, I think that the essence of the Christian story is that we all matter, regardless of wealth or gender or race or prior history. That the most lovely, least selfish person ever, was born in a shitty, rancid barn remains a powerful image of hope.

You forgot to a promiscuous mother and simpleton father….of course god got her pregnant derp de derp.

Yes, it’s Christmas, so someone has to do the simpleton atheist act. Shame you couldn’t find a more appropriate thread for it, though. But perhaps you don’t care about the kind of problem this service is obviously trying to address.

#1, I know that St John’s in Reid organises a lunch for anyone who wants to go on Christmas Day, and that they would want volunteers.

NoImRight said :

Excellent point LSWCHP. Well done.

+1. Thankyou for sharing.

Excellent point LSWCHP. Well done.

poetix said :

LSWCHP, I think that the essence of the Christian story is that we all matter, regardless of wealth or gender or race or prior history. That the most lovely, least selfish person ever, was born in a shitty, rancid barn remains a powerful image of hope.

You forgot to a promiscuous mother and simpleton father….of course god got her pregnant derp de derp.

LSWCHP, I think that the essence of the Christian story is that we all matter, regardless of wealth or gender or race or prior history. That the most lovely, least selfish person ever, was born in a shitty, rancid barn remains a powerful image of hope.

And that there’s a church to go to where people won’t be expected to be unquestionably happy is definitely a good thing. So far as I know, Jesus is not a member of One Direction.

I’m 50 and married (second time around) with kids from my first marriage and doing fairly well, all things considered. But I had a couple of beers with two old mates last weekend. They’re both older than me, single and childless, for reasons I won’ t go in to. I said I was looking forward to Christmas, meaning a couple of weeks off work and time with my children. They both gave me stony looks, and then gave me chapter and verse about how awful Christmas can be, and will be, for some people.

My first impulse was to tell them to happy up. Then I remembered the Christmas I spent by myself in a room I’d rented in a share house a few weeks after my wife had kicked me out of my home. She told me if I didn’t leave I’d never see my kids again, whatever that means. I was very, very sad, and I came pretty close to doing myself in at that extremely low point in my life. I think it would’ve been nice at the time to have spoken to some people who understood that Christmas ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Being a sensitive bloke, I didn’t tell my old friends to happy up. I told them I knew what they meant, and we had a couple more pints and kept talking about Christmas and other things, and it was all OK.

So, to the very good folks at the Holy Covenant Anglican Church, my hat is off to you. It’s a good thing you’re doing. And to anybody who is thinking of doing themself in this Christmas Season, please don’t. It’s the worst possible option. Maybe get along to the Holy Covenant instead.