‘Being an atheist is like being gay’

“Being an atheist is like being gay. You don’t choose it, it tends to make you unpopular, nobody knows unless you tell them—and it’s not something to be ashamed of!”

Isn’t that a great analogy? Andy Butler, a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, wrote that. He goes on to discuss briefly the Richard Dawkins Foundation’s OUT campaign, which is how I happened to come across the article. I was so taken with the opening statement, I’ve now forgotten what I was looking for in the first place.

As for the OUT campaign, I think it’s an interesting concept. However, I have very mixed feelings about the big red A logo. A scarlet letter reminds me more of Hester Prynne than of atheists. And while I might eventually warm to the idea of wearing an ambiguous red A that means nothing except to other atheists (sort of a secret sign) and to those who might be curious enough to ask about it, the Dawkins campaign negates that option by including his name in the logo.