Here in the U.S. the word "atheist" has become tainted. Tell someone you don't believe in god, and most will be bewildered, uncomfortable, and perhaps even pity you. Tell that same someone you're an atheist, and they will be horrified and appalled.
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell