I think there is more of a continuum from non-belief to wherever you think it ends in the God orbit.
I'd note that while they might be shocked at the truth, quite a few Christians in the US would be exonerated for lack of evidence should Jesusism ever be made illegal. They might not identify as 'atheist' or 'agnostic', but maintaining themselves as their own arbitrators of religious belief instead of God/Jesus/Bible takes them a very long way down Atheist Boulevard whether they want to admit it or not.
I'd note that while they might be shocked at the truth, quite a few Christians in the US would be exonerated for lack of evidence should Jesusism ever be made illegal. They might not identify as 'atheist' or 'agnostic', but maintaining themselves as their own arbitrators of religious belief instead of God/Jesus/Bible takes them a very long way down Atheist Boulevard whether they want to admit it or not.
The granting of a pardon is an imputation of guilt, and the acceptance a confession of it.
