Posted by Hemant Mehta in Dina Haines Appleby of DelawareOnline wrote an article on how atheists share values with everyone else. It’s a good, quick read.
Her numbers stating that atheists are 1-3% of the population are rather low, but otherwise, she makes good points.
Appleby’s conclusion needs to be restated. It’s wonderful.
All of which brings me back to the question of whether you know any atheists. It’s much easier to hate or distrust an abstract group of “others” than to hate or distrust the friendly woman in the next cubicle or the guy on your softball team who might not believe in God.
That is why I want people to know I’m an atheist. I encourage other atheists and agnostics to make their views known. This won’t change our reputations overnight. But every time someone says, “Well, I have a friend who’s an atheist …” it’s a step in the direction of tolerance, and that’s a value I hold dear.
Send her your gratitude. I’m sure she’d appreciate the feedback.
[tags]Dina Haines Appleby, DelawareOnline, atheist, atheism, God, agnostic[/tags]
Personally, I like to let ppl to get to know me, who I am first, before I ever mention atheism. It makes that personal connection a lot easier and I am seen from a human perspective first.
[...] hat tip: Friendly Atheist [...]