I’ve been meaning to write about this for a while now. With the holidays coming up, things are getting slightly slower (no, really!), so I’ve got a little more time to write about this.

It shouldn’t be that important to let other people know that I’m not religious, right? I know I’m an atheist, my immediate family knows, some close friends know…that should be enough. Right?

Sort of. Coming out with one’s religious preference, or lack thereof, is much like coming out in other ways. It makes people who aren’t the norm less like demons to others, more human. It makes people realize that there are more of us than they had thought or been told. That would be for pretty much any subset of “us”. Three spring to mind for me, but there are probably less (or more) for you.

It also makes things easier on those who can’t reveal their atheism for safety concerns. In a lot of places, notably parts of the US, saying you are an atheist can lead to harassment, ostracism, disowning and worse. I realize that it’s also the case in other countries, but the US is where I’m from and the place I know best. Just knowing you’re not the only one can make a huge difference in somebody else’s life.

So yes, that big red A is there for a reason. If you click on it, it leads to the OUT Campaign. It’s sponsored by the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, and it’s…well, it does pretty much what it says.