Atheism, Christmas and Morality

There was an editorial posted over at the News Journal that caused quite a stir about how a professed atheist likes to celebrate Christmas. What was fun was that I recieved an honorable mention in the comments. rocknrolllady, thinking that I would swoon after reading the words, said, "I imagine that someone had to revive Matt Timmons if he reads anything besides his own postings..."

While it did not induce any sort of mental and physical relapse, I was saddened that I was not able to invite Ms. Dollard, the author of the article, to come and join my family and I in the celebration of Christmas. I would have loved to share some egg nog with her and talk with her further about her beliefs and practices. I would have really liked to converse further about one particular statement she made in her op-ed regarding the topic of morality.

Early in the article Ms. Nancy Dollard said, "It's amusing to me that many avid religious people think atheists have no morals." Being that we couldn't sit by the fire and chat, I left this comment:

Ms. Dollard,

Christians do think that atheists have morals (if you have met one who says otherwise, then they really are way out there). The point that Christians make is that atheists do not have a legit. foundation for their morals.

If we are cosmic dust (as the atheist says), it doesn't matter whether we eat the ham or the neighbor's child for Christmas dinner. If we are consistent atheists, one act is just as moral as the other.

You will no doubt shudder to think of eating little Jenny from next door (perhaps needing to be revived-- right rocknroll? :). Yet why are you repulsed? Your worldview obviously supports either act? It is because you have an innate moral revulsion. But you can only support this revulsion by borrowing from the Christian worldview / God's law.

So it is not a matter of "who has morals." Rather the question is, "Whence cometh those morals?"

The point that I was trying to make in the brievity that the comment imposes was that her choice of what is right and wrong is just as arbitrary as her choice to celebrate Christmas or Hanukah. Any decision is permissible according to her worldview because there are no standards to live by but her own.

I would even go so far as to say that her celebrateing Christmas is at least somewhat consistent. She might as well borrow our holidays. She is already borrowing our standards for determining morality.