What I find so funny about Atheists is that they are so concerned that people believe in religion they have to force it down everyone's throat. If you don't believe it then leave it the hell alone, if it brings joy to people's lives why knock it?

Everyone gets to find out which side is correct in the end.

Just to be fair.

It can be said about people from both sides.

It's the only story that ever occurs, I suppose. There's really nothing else for atheists as a group to do except talk to each other about atheism ("So, uh, I was sitting at home and thought I heard voices. Turns out I sat on my phone and called someone with my left ass cheek.") and try to convert others. And nobody likes to be preached to.

If I were wealthier I'd start up some sort of overtly secular charity or institute, not to try to convert people but to help ALL people. Basically a very expensive way of saying, "Not All Atheists Are Assholes." Maybe I could get that emblazoned over the door.

Then you'd see this on the news:

"Prominent atheist indoctrination center firebombed, two dead, one injured."

Then your name would be Bill or Melinda Gates or Warren Buffett.

Their organizations are secular but not visibly so. Ask the average person if those charities are associated with a religion and I'll bet you they'll either say, "I don't know," or "Christianity."

Douchenuckles? That's a new one by me. I like that, but shouldn't it be "doucheknuckles?"

The whole situation reminds me of the Mormon episode of South Park. Maybe the stories are hard to swallow, maybe it isn't true, but religion can help people and bring them closer together. Isn't that good enough to give believers a right to believe?

I still wouldn't be adverse to a carefully worded "asshole clause" in there (fun fact: Asshole Claus is the atheist version of Santa), something along the lines of:

"You have the right to free speech, but please don't be a dick about it."

Just out of curiosity then, would you consider missions work and/or prosthetyzing "asshole" behavior? These are simple mandates for Christianity and Islam. It is written in their holy books that such behavior is not only acceptable but required. Considering these religious philosophies rely on the aggressive spreading of lies, how is it somehow more obnoxious that individuals or organizations make a point of dispelling them?

Instead of leaving the sign, they should have stolen the nativity set. There's no reason it should be on display in or near a State building. Separation of church and State, baby. Learn it. Live it. Love it.

To me, this that is the pinnacle of irony. The born-agains will use GPS even though it's based on technology that they refute when it comes to evolution. GPS requires very accurate time measurements to calcuate the position of something. That time is generated by an atomic clock, which uses the constant decay rates of atoms as its engine. But according to their logic, god changes those constant decay rates willy nilly just to keep us on our toes and test our faith.

The cost of salvation is apparently... $800. Porcelain is pricier than I thought.

On my way home from the train station yesterday, I noticed that some pranksters altered the light sculptures on the front yards of two adjacent homes -- they took Joseph (or Mary?) from the nativity scene on one front yard and swapped it with Mary (or Joe?) on the other one. So there are these two conspiculously gay parent couples looking down at their baby Jesuses.

I contemplated knocking on the door of an either house and letting them know, but then thought -- what if they kind of like it that way?

Hey, now we're getting a Festivus tree in the state capitol. Awesome.

Festivus for the rest of us.

I've found it best as an atheist to just keep my mouth shut, do my job and try to lead as moral a life as I can. Right or wrong, I'm pretty sure people where I live and work are significantly prejudiced against atheists, perhaps even moreso than Muslims in some ways (I have a few Muslim coworkers).

I agree that this kind of sign business does nothing to help things... But given the prejucide, I can understand where it comes from (not even getting into things like intelligent design in classrooms).

A related thing I've noticed recently is that saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" runs the risk attracting significant scorn and disapproval around here... Ugh.

Actually, I think the proper term is, "Douchedragging Knucklebags."