Clarifications

I've gotten a few questions about religion recently, and I though that I'd clear up my stance on the subject.

I'm an avowed atheist. If you have been around me for more than a few weeks you probably have an inkling of this aspect of my life. However, this should not suggest that I hate religion. I find many aspects of religion distasteful, and some aspects of the evangelical movement outright offensive, but I am not out to wipe religion off the face of the earth.

There seem to be two camps of atheists gaining a following around the world. There are the mainstream "live and let live" atheists, who are fine with most religion but keep it at an arm's length, and the militant atheists, who are out to destroy religion from the base. I'm not about to group with one set of folks or the other, but I think that I sit somewhere closer to the live and let live atheists and agnostics that make up the much larger and less vocal majority of disbelievers.

I am perfectly fine with religion, and am willing to recognize its benefits, as long as people have some decency about it, meaning:

• Please don't try to convert me. I enjoy religious debate, and absolutely relish intelligent argument on sensitive subjects such as god, but be respectful of my beliefs, and don't try to "show me the light."


• Please keep your religion out of our government. The separation of church and state has vast implications, and this is not a theocracy. Don't advocate legislating the Bible, we're not all christians.


• Please take your ignorant hate elsewhere. If you hate people due to dogmatic and unfounded fears and prejudices, keep it to yourself, or else I'll hate you right back.

With all that said, I don't think that I've ever actually met someone who meets those criteria, so I don't think that there's much to worry about, but there seemed to be some need for clarification, so I obliged.

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