Christmas for atheists

This was my first year spending Christmas as an "out" atheist. In the last year, I've had many conversations with my Catholic-schooled mother, who surprisingly feels much the same way I do about religion (it's bullshit). I am a bit more extreme in my thinking than she is, but I'm that way with a lot of things. For example, Mom isn't religious, but she respects people's right to participate in religions. I feel like religion is a crutch for stupid people (Sherri Shepherd anyone?) and that it stands in the way of progress for the human race. Anyone who would rather his wife and child die in childbirth than have a male anesthetist see her bare back is fucking crazy, and I'm not at all apologetic about saying that. So now my immediate family knows I'm an atheist, as do all of my friends.

So anyway, this year I have to say that I felt pretty uncomfortable. In my role as an international account rep, I was receiving e-mails and phone calls from all over the world wishing me a merry Christmas. I found myself unwilling to tell business associates that I don't celebrate Christmas. I prefer not to get into religion with people I don't know extremely well. I don't think it's appropriate. Their wishes, which were probably entirely benign to them, felt like an intrusion to me. Whereas for public figures, like politicians and such, I feel that I need to know that they "believe" in evolution (like it's something to be believed...it's a fact, not an opinion), I'd rather not know if my business associates are Christians or not. It totally skews my view of people. Christianity is so full of hypocrisy, obstruction of science, and misogyny that I'd rather have no part of it...it's my personal "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

My boyfriend's parents bought us a Christmas tree. I had intentionally not bought one, because it's not my holiday. Not only that, it's a freaking waste of electricity and I'm trying to reduce my carbon footprint. I understand where they're coming from, and how they might have seen that gift as innocent, but it sucked. I had to display this stupid plastic thing in my living room and all day I was looking at it with hatred.

I think that next year on Christmas, when nothing is open and there's nothing to do, I'm going to do something for the world. On the "national day of prayer," atheists donate blood en masse. That's a cool, tangible thing to do, which would be awesome if I were allowed to donate blood. I'm always a little too anemic, which sucks. So maybe I'll volunteer in a soup kitchen, or maybe I'll go to a senior center and hang out with the old people. Maybe I'll go to the local animal shelter and walk the dogs and play with the cats. In any case, I'll be doing something good and I'll feel good about it.

How was your Christmas?