Why is it so hard to be openly atheist in today's world

[Bob Kelso]

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At least here in the United States. I live in Phoenix, Arizona which is dominated heavily by Catholics and Mormons and other Christian denominations. I had this really good friend who was Mormon, and we've been best friends since Freshman year. And just last November I told her I didn't believe in God and she got quite mad about it and said that she didn't want to be my friend anymore because of it. What's ironic is that her other excuse is that she only wanted to hang around people who believed in God because they're a better influence, but she's the one who goes to Vegas and drinks and grinds with random men at clubs.

It seems like all we really want is to just be treated equally and not like subhumans or second class. I read somewhere that an open atheist cannot run for office in this country. (Not 100% how true that is, but if someone knows anymore on this; please, let me know). I don't go around forcing my atheism on others. But apparently Christians somehow think they should be permitted to force their religious beliefs down everyone's throats through government and such. But if someone who's an atheist lets out a small little peep, they will demonized and publicly shammed for it. At least in the part of the country I live in.

This is just something I've never understood.

Now I do know that atheism is widely accepted in countries in Northern Europe.

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While I can commiserate with you over people being close minded, hypocritical, twats about atheists, I think you might be overreacting. I'm an atheist in Tennessee; home of a large population of Young Earth Creationist, close minded, bigoted, hillbillies... yet I have no problem being open about my atheism. I'm not saying that door to door proselytizers, that I deal with quite a bit in my area, don't get pissy with me upon learning that I'm an atheist (they do), I just don't let it bug me.