Someone recently said to me, “You’re pretty normal, except for being an atheist.” And so I was reminded yet again that most Americans still believe that atheists are kind of icky. While I can appreciate that the lack of belief in God is deeply foreign to many people, I’m still struck how much emphasis people place on it as a defining characteristic. Nurses have introduced me to their friends as “my boss, the atheist I told you about.” A girlfriend once pleaded with me to not mention my lack of belief to her parents. If asked to list my most interesting qualities, I don’t think my metaphysical views would crack the top twenty. But others seem to regard it with a weird mix of fascination, fear, and pity. It’s eerily similar to how many respond to my disability.
I certainly don’t try to inhabit the margins of Americans’ comfort zones, but it seems to be something I do with ease.
