Today I stumbled upon a letter in the Daily regarding the stance of American atheists as anti-Christian. It was a fair, well-taken view but I would like the chance to offer a rebuttal.

I speak for all atheists when I say that your belief in Christianity affects me as much as an animist’s belief in wind-spirits affects you or me: not at all. Atheists have no problem with your beliefs. We only have problems when your beliefs spill over into everyone else’s lives. American atheists have seen too many funerals protested and too many human rights denied in the name of Christianity.

Atheists in America realize that most religious people are not the nuts from Westboro Baptist Church. But we also realize that the main threat to religious freedom in America is Christianity. When Congressman Ron Paul incorrectly declared that our secular founding fathers “envisioned a robustly Christian yet religiously tolerant America, with churches serving as vital institutions that would eclipse the state in importance,” everyone in America should feel threatened.

In short, we focus on Christianity in America because of America’s vastly Christian overtones in politics and society. We focus on Christianity in America because Muslims, Hindus and animists should feel the same freedoms to practice their religion as those down at St. Thomas Aquinas or Memorial Lutheran Church.

The letter I am responding to astutely requested atheists to, “Go to Tehran. That is in Iran for your information. Go there, and write ‘Keep Allah out of our schools, since we keep knowledge out of your mosques.'” Assuming that Iran and the United States have the same religious freedom is absurd. However, this brings up a great point for why atheists should focus on Christianity in America.

The reason we do not go to Iran to hold conventions is because that is precisely what we are trying to prevent in America: a society so intolerant of other religions that the minority cannot voice their beliefs.

I do not believe in Christianity as much as I believe in Islam, Shintoism, the Flying Spaghetti Monster or any other religion. I do believe that all humans, regardless of religion should have the same voice and rights as anyone else.