The Big Red “A”

What's that all about, then?

I just added a new item in the left sidebar, right at the top: a big, red “A”. A for Atheist. If you click on the link you'll get a new browser tab open to the web page of the Out Campaign – the idea is to encourage atheists to “come out”.

I think this is a great idea on the whole, especially here in the good ol' US of A. One big problem with this place is that religion is ingrained into things much more than in my native Europe – even political office, supposedly protected by the first amendment from religious interference, isn't safe and it's a well known fact that it would be impossible for an atheist to become President.

The real horror of it all, though, is that the population in general have become so brainwashed by religious dogma that they have a twisted, horror-story idea of what atheists are. There are an incredible number of brainless, thoughtless ideas about atheists – that we don't have beliefs (yes, we do – but our beliefs are based on facts and evidence, not blind faith); that we're amoral (we have morals – we just believe that morals come from ourselves and not an old book, and that we're responsible for our own actions); that we believe in, or even worship, the devil (nope; our stance is that god(s), devil(s) and all similar supernatural things have as much supporting evidence as ghosts, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. That is, zero).

The religious authorities have successfully brainwashed their followers into believing these stereotypes – and many others, some much worse – to the point where any atheist making his beliefs public often risks a range of dangers, from losing friends and alienation from their families, all the way up to the risk of real, physical harm and even death. An atheist would never consider killing someone because they're religious, but unfortunately that doesn't cut both ways; some believers genuinely think that their 'holy' book gives them the right to kill non-believers (atheists as well as those of other faiths).

So although I really, really hope that the Out Campaign is a success and gets large numbers of atheists to stand up and be counted and demand that they be heard, I think that here in the US simple fear will discourage many from doing so. The good news is that recent surveys have shown that more and more people are switching from faith to reason and saying so. That has to be a good thing.