PUT UP AND SHUT UP

(A slightly edited version of the following letter was published in "The Nation," issue dated December 31, 2007.)

Despite my general agreement with Katha Pollitt's observations about the futility of atheist "conversions," I am always troubled by apparent believers presuming us atheists to be evangelists for our own lack of belief.

I don't presume to speak for any other nonbeliever, and there have certainly been those (like Madalyn Murray O'Hair) who have proselytized the atheist "movement," but I really cannot be bothered to concern myself with what anyone else may or may not believe. The only thing that a committed atheist should be prepared to resist is any attempt to infuse faith-based nonsense into our governments. Each of us here has a fundamental right to secular, not atheistic governments. There is a big difference as far as I am concerned. Our governments are not permitted to take religious "sides" or positions under our Constitution. That is the promise not only of the First Amendment but also Article VI. That is so that each of us will be treated fairly by the government, not to "disprove" the existence of that which may not be disproved. (That would take a very flimsy deity, indeed!)

I almost always admit that I cannot disprove the existence of any deity. Why should I care? It is really none of my business what anyone else chooses to believe. Or not. That is what real freedom is about.

It IS my business to preserve that freedom, and I do so by insisting that my governments be secular and that people are not hurt or harassed in the name of religion.
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The First Amendment obviously protects government officials in expression of their own individual religious beliefs, but that does not mean they should do so. Whenever acting as government officials, they should keep it to themselves. It is unethical and unpatriotic for them to do otherwise, based upon my reading of Article VI of the Constitution, which prohibits a religious test for public office in the US.