<p>This is not meant to make fun of Christianity or any other organized religion. It’s meant to illustrate what it feels like to be an atheist in a predominantly Christian society.</p>
<p>Let’s say all the people around you believed all that happens in our world is the result of actions by the fairies. On Saturdays many people go out to the woods to commune with the fairies and gather to discuss the various types of fairies and their abilities. You don’t believe in fairies but no one’s forcing you to. You actually find their fairy dancing rather beautiful and you’ve taught your kids a few traditional fairy dances.</p>
<p>Some-not all fairy sects believe that people with red hair are evil and should not be allowed to have kids. You don’t happen to have red hair, but you know a few people who do and it doesn’t seem logical to you that they should be treated any differently from anyone else, but the Book of Fairies clearly state that red is the color of evil, so in some communities red haired people are out of luck.</p>
<p>Now imagine that at all sorts of public events such as community breakfasts, the town 4th of July celebration, and your own kid’s graduation you were asked to raise your hands to the sky and thank the fairies. You were treated to speeches about the wonders of the wood fairies and the fearsomeness of the water fairies. You were told that all good in the world came from the fairies and if you didn’t understand that you were a sad person who, unfortunately, would burn in the fiery Pit of Truth. You weren’t forced to raise your hands to the sky, but when you didn’t do so you got a few funny looks and people told you you seemed to be making a point. “Just raise your hands and be silent” they said, “you don’t have to thing about fairies-you can compose a mental shopping list instead.”</p>
<p>Wouldn’t you at some point say to yourself, “Can you please just shut up about the #$(&^ fairies!”?</p>