Hi TK,

Talk about misperception of atheism, when I was in high school I was asked by one student whether being an atheist meant that I followed 70 year-old ladies home and raped them.  That's probably what his mother had told him.  In those days every effort was made to conceal that fact that some people did not even believe that "God" existed--just to prevent the child from choosing that path.

Darwin Bedford
www.atheists.net


At 03:05 AM 12/5/2002 -0500, you wrote:

Hi there!  I was searching for a subject for a college paper, and decided on
something I've dealt with all my life, which is the misperception of atheism.
 This was very hard for me to do because of a lack of impartial knowledge
about what atheism truly is.  Everyone I've met who has been raised under a
religious belief has the idea that an atheist is an evil being, deluded by
Satan, (the letters of which can be remixed into another fictional
character), and basically has reaffirmed my belief that I am truly in the
minority.  This is why I wanted to thank you for creating this site, and for
the hard work you have obviously put into it.  While your denouncing the
beliefs of those who you believe are wrong is generally a trait used by "the
faithful",  I cannot express the extreme delight found from finding my
thoughts echoed by so many others.   I will not criticize those who believe
in what find to be the biggest public relations stunt in history, but I will
most definitely continue to be viciously defensive of my right to not believe
.  I was in Boy Scouts for over 14 years, and their hypocritical dogma
regarding gays and atheists prompted a very difficult decision to stop my
support of them.  It really makes the jokes I've heard comparing the BSA
uniforms to those of Nazi Youth Groups hit home, doesn't it?  America's
strength lies in her freedoms, and every time that ANY minority's rights are
curtailed, we are no better than countries and dictators who subjugate in the
name of faith, and restrain freedoms because They Can.  I don't agree with
Neo-Nazis, but they have a right to believe what they want.  I don't practice
homosexuality, but those who do have that right.  I know "god and "satan" are
anagrams of "dog" and "santa" for deliciously obvious reasons, but I also
have that right to, no matter what a 2,000 year old Middle Age White Guys
power scheme says.  I'm sure I will revisit this site many times, but I would
enjoy hearing from you, or anyone else who would like to discuss or debate. 
Again, thank you Very much!
TK