Reply #1: nice start.. but the meat comes later

[dmallind]

Even though I was raised in the South, I went to private Catholic schools. All my friends went to school with me and I was insulated by that world. I never noticed the insanity that is evangelicalism that was all around me. So Gainesville is my first one-on-one experience with people that truly believe the earth is 6,000 years old, evolution is a leftist conspiracy and anyone that doesn't believe every word of the bible is literal is going to hell. I encounter it every single day out here."


I've become much more vocal about my atheism. I'm tired of hearing how evil we are, how all the rapists, child molesters and murderers in the world are atheists and all the other evils they blame on me simply for not believing their fairy tales. I never considered myself an atheist activist until moving to Gainesville."

And oh, has she become an activist! Since enrolling in college to pursue her lifelong interest in neuroscience, she's been one of the biggest movers and shakers in the Gainesville secular community. She joined the Secular Student Alliance and due to her hard work and persistence, Gainesville State College recently hosted the biggest debate... well... probably ever, in Gainesville. Renowned atheist and former preacher Matt Dillahunty debated local Christian Mark Allison. (Read my synopsis HERE.)

"At school there are about a million Christian clubs and only our one secular club. The Secular Alliance can't keep our fliers on the walls for more than one day, they are often torn down almost as soon as we put them up. I believe one way to combat that fear is by exposure. If we create more clubs and have more of a presence on campus perhaps they won't be quite so frightened of us. I think the most important thing is to constantly tell people I am an atheist. I want them to associate a nice, young, good willed person with atheism."

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This captures some frequently ignored uncomfortable truths.

For believers: The best way to avoid people making a big deal of their atheism is to avoid making a big deal of your religion in the first place.

For nonbelievers: You'll never improve the marginalization and hate directed against atheists without being active and organized. This whole "I'm a rugged individualist who doesn't see the point of collective atheism" stance is a recipe to stay the most hated and least accepted and trusted minority in America.