Submitted by Arkansas Atheist, Jan 16, 2007 10:24

Even in the Buy Bull belt of the US there are Freethinker groups popping up nowadays.
The only thing we have to fear is to not come out and be heard. For if we don't stand up and stand our ground then the negative connotations that have, to this point, been associated with "Atheists" will continue because we are not defending ourselves. Just last week I produced a religious tv program ( how tolerant of me- can you imagine a christian having to produce a Nullifidian program?, me neither ), and during the program the host boasted of how "far out" atheists think about the Big Bang and Evolution. He used this analogy that claims that we atheist think that order came out of chaos and then used an example of a Home Depot, which contains all the needed components for a house, and then stated if we blow up the Home Depot we should end up with a finished house. I kept my cool until the program was over and immediately told him how bad and off the analogy was. At this point in our relationship he knows I'm a Bright, if he wants to share with his congregation and viewers the concepts that atheists' hold, he should simply ask one- which could have easily been me since I'm right there anyway. No, instead he chose to read something and form his own opinion about how we think and without asking around to see if his understanding was even close, he proceeds to spread untruths to the world-at least a small part that doesn't hold favor toward the unbeliever anyway. And he calls himself a christian, it's no wonder that the skeptics are coming out more and more. Alas, I feel we have the upper hand, for when more of the secular humanists come out and a dialog is unavoidable, the religious' beliefs will have to stand the scrutany that heros like Sam Harris and Mr. Dawkins are now asking. And with no proof of any supernatural deity, eventually, I hope, the human race will see that logic and reason, in EVERY ASPECT of life, is truely the way to go.
May reason be with you all,
ARKANSAS ATHEIST

Note: Comments are screened, and in some cases edited, before posting. We reserve the right to reject anything we find objectionable.