Posted by Ir (Helen) on: 05.09.2007 /
Hemant recently wrote about the low attendance at events held for the National Day of Prayer (or National Day of Reason).
Tim Stiffler e-mailed me a link to Hemant’s blog entry and asked if we could discuss the following:
It seems that in both Christian and Secular events, no one seems to want to step out and do something. The numbers are shocking, as these were supposed to be great big events, with very few people showing up.
Why do we need to have a special day to do these things? Why not do it all of the time?
Any thoughts?
Comment by: benjamin ady
1It touches on the nature of our culture, I think.
I’m taking Spanish 201 at uni, and we recently read Octavio Paz “El laberinto de la soledad”–the labyrinth of solitude. He’s talking about why Mexicans have such huge parties, and why everyone attends and parties hard, as it were, and how this is wrapped up in the mexican pshyche and culture, and he … not so gently (and yet accurately, methinks) criticizes we united statesers for being somewhat superficial, and how that is related to our wealth. It touches on why peoeple don’t so much get together in big groups to do things in this country. Very readable. I’m pretty sure Mr. Paz won the nobel for literature at some point.
Comment by: Friendly Atheist » Why the Low Attendance?
2 05/9/07 1:06 PM | Comment Link |[...] Stiffler brings this question up at the eBay atheist blog. He also asks why we need a day like this at all. Should we be donating blood throughout the [...]
Comment by: TXatheist
3I don’t know. Selfishness or apathy? My wife had a friend who needed a scheduled blood transfusion after surgery and asked anyone to donate blood and in turn receive a “receipt” from the blood center which would reduce the cost of each pint she received as the hospital would charge for the blood transfusion. I posted a very kind note about this in my work room break area. Over the next 3 weeks of the 108 professionals I worked with zero bothered to tell me they donated or gave me a receipt which the sign clearly indicated I needed to help.
Comment by: Bjorn Watland
4Speaking as an atheist who attended a Day of Reason event, the low turn out may have been because it was during the day, and in the middle of the week. Logistically, that can be hard for people. Our main message was a separation of state and church, not a real crowd getter, unless you really, really liked civics in school.
On the believer’s side, some people may not feel the need to pray on one certain day, but everyday. While separation of state and church is important any day, the only reason there is a Day of Reason is because of the Day of Prayer.
Maybe both events are seen as extreme, and people are tired of polarization?
Comment by: Richard Wade
5I give blood throughout the year and I was glad that the timing was right to give again on that day. I had reservations about all the negative reasons for donating blood on that day that some of my fellow atheists were expressing, such as a protest to the Day of Prayer, or as a moral one-upsmanship to those who only pray and don’t help, etc, but I did it because I wanted to show that non believers can participate in such a day for positive reasons. Nobody knew my motives because I didn’t announce it; I just bled for my fellow man as I’ve done for many gallons in the past. The only “publicity” I gave it was to register my donation with the RRS, and that’s only because they were the ones who were counting.
It would be interesting to see if the Red Cross and other blood services had a slight spike in donations on May 3, but I don’t know how one would go about finding out.
The events for both Prayer and Reason were probably poorly attended because they are new. Next year they may have more. The other reason is that if it wasn’t in the news it didn’t happen, as far as the public awareness goes. Media producers may shy away from covering atheist events that are in protest and conflict with religious events. They don’t want to piss off the majority of their public. They might rather cover a poorly attended prayer meeting than a medium attended atheist meeting.
Do we need to have a special day for such things? No, but Americans like to celebrate things. If we must have a Day of Reason I think it’s a mistake to attach it to the Day of Prayer because it comes off as merely a spoiler, a reaction, a protest. People of reason should stop letting the believers define the debate, call the shots, schedule the events. We should be proactive rather than only reactive. Want to celebrate reason on a certain day? Pick any day not associated with the Day of Prayer. If you must have an anchor for what day, how about Galileo’s, Darwin’s or Einstein’s birthdays? Or some important day in the history of reason.
In the meantime, give blood throughout the year. It’s fun to give so intimate a gift to a stranger. Be reasonable every day, especially when confronted with unreasonable people.
Comment by: Siamang
6How about Newton? ;-)
Comment by: Richard Wade
7Oh yeah, I knew I was forgetting someone.
Comment by: Siamang
8Psst.
It’s a joke. We already celebrate a big birthday on Newton’s day.
Comment by: Julie Marie
9so, I found out a person who has gotten a tattoo in GA in the last year cannot give blood. But if I’d gotten it in NC, then I would’ve been good to go. Something about federal oversight.
trying to do good can get complicated! They tell me I’ve got “baby blood” (blood without the cytomegaovirus) that can be given to babies and immunocompromised people. So I try to be fairly regular donor.
now if I’d have known about the GA/NC thing I’d have gone north instead of southwest last January when I felt a need to mark a turning point in my attitude and outlook with a low back tribal tattoo.
Comment by: Jen
10But I do those nice things all year round! Why shouldn’t we do them on a specific day once a year to get “moral credit” or to attract attention, or whatever? I doubt anyone would have donated blood on that day unless they were already a regular donor.
Why do we need a special day? I don’t know, why do we exchange gifts on winter holidays and drink champagne on New Years and eat cake on my birthday? People like celebrating. Hell, I was recently reading that in certain time periods, 1/3 of all days were holy celebrations of one sort or another*.
*I want to say this was a quote from a someone on the recent Skeptics Carnival, and that the time period was Middle Ages-ish.
Comment by: Jen
11But I do those nice things all year round! Why shouldn’t we do them on a specific day once a year to get “moral credit” or to attract attention, or whatever? I doubt anyone would have donated blood on that day unless they were already a regular donor.
Why do we need a special day? I don’t know, why do we exchange gifts on winter holidays and drink champagne on New Years and eat cake on my birthday? People like celebrating. Hell, I was recently reading that in certain time periods, 1/3 of all days were holy celebrations of one sort or another*.
*I want to say this was a quote from a someone on the recent Skeptics Carnival, and that the time period was Middle Ages-ish.
Comment by: Jen
12Sorry for the double post!
Comment by: Siamang
13I think the important part of the “special day” phenomenon is to encourage others to do something. Like it or not, human nature makes it such that doing stuff in groups is helpful.
I think many of us are like that. We give money to the food bank at thanksgiving, because, well, we remember it and we’re thinking about it that day.
And usually those folks are smart enough to portion out the money they recieve in november so it lasts.
Comment by: Barbara Janda
14I believe in the teachings of Jesus, I believe he is the Son of God. However, I do not attend church and have not since the early 1970’s.
I have gone to many churches, including interviewing a rabbi. I find it most unsettling that people who profess to be Christians show their brotherly love by staging a performance of their faith. Whether it be the praying out loud during silent prayer, their distain for those who do not share their individual protestant or catholic religious beliefs. Some pridefully displaying bumper stickers that they will be raptured into the heavens.
I,of course, have witnessed to people things God has done for me, but never have I told anyone that I was better than them.
Jesus welcomed all, and so it is with me. Of course I have been disappointed in my fellows at times, but for the most part I have the benefit of many friends. I do not try to convert anyone–I try to live as Jesus taught, I try to respect everyone’s right to be individual, because each of us was made unique. I try to help those I can with the knowledge I have gained, guided them to the proper professional help if they needed it. My payment, I ask that they pass on help to others that need it in the future.
This is how I am a Christian.