He sounded urbanely amused. He sounded smug - and not at all scholarly. I was driving at the time. I haven't had to do anything at all to learn the meanings of crosses, stars of David, pink triangles and rainbow flags, the Republican elephant and the Democratic donkey or, for that matter, Mickey Mouse ears and the RCA spotted dog. That's because the people and organizations behind these symbols have done the work of making sure I recognized them.
Many humanists express one of two, apparently contradictory attitudes toward religion.
Don't do it, too much like religion. Don't do it, too much like religion. On the one hand, we can't and shouldn't avoid every activity that religion has ever touched. Every religion I can think of has ceremonies involving food, and I don't intend to stop eating. On the other hand, doing every thing religions do is no way to offer an alternative, or avoid their errors.