In Reply to: Re: Thanksgiving posted by Pastor Don on November 28, 2009 at 20:50:00:
I hope I am wrong, but you seem to treat atheists with the cynicism you accuse them of. Your "innocent" questions would seem to imply that atheists are purposeless, heartless beings, somehow lesser people with less to live for due to a handicap, an inability on their part to experience thankfulness.
Belief in God is not a prerequisite for being in a state of thankfulness. Without even believing in fate, luck or "good fortune," one can still be thankful for good circumstances without necessarily being thankful to someone for them. The relief and positiveness one can feel for knowing that one has it good now compared to how it was before, is akin to "counting your blessings," but without the God factor.
Having said that, as a believer I would say that I experience thankfulness in a different and perhaps more profound way, than if I didn't believe in God. But I acknowledge my bias.