If I were an Atheist

[Simon Moon]

Atheism does differ from religion in important ways. Making use of "universal languages" like mathematics and the hard sciences, it cuts across cultures around the globe to a greater extent than any religion does. But most atheists get their science secondhand and therefore must trust authority to some degree or another. They choose which sources to trust based on their college library science courses, which incidentally advise against over-reliance on Wikipedia.

But I'm sure you'll agree that getting our science secondhand from actual authorities on the scientific subjects in question, coupled with the knowledge of how the scientific method works, is not the same as getting religion from religious authorities.

In other words, I can't easily measure the speed of light, but when scientific authorities from all over the world, from different cultures, with various god beliefs, all get the same results every time, every place, that is orders of magnitude better than getting information about gods from theologians, that not only differ drastically from culture to culture, religion to religion, but even among individuals of the same religion or god beliefs.

So, while you didn't get your decoder ring, you have little trouble recognizing fellow atheists and finding something to converse with them about. And, if I may presume, you take pride in your identity as an atheist. The similarities between atheist and religious on these criteria outweigh the differences. Atheism, like religion, is a glue that binds people together as a tribe. My last statement remains true even if science explains the natural world better. People are groupies no matter what.

Without engaging people in conversation, how do I go about recognizing fellow atheists? 

I don't take pride in my identity as an atheist. I take pride in my critical thinking ability, my skepticism, my rational thinking. My atheism is simply a natural result of those skills. Those same skills lead me to disbelieve in: UFO abductions, bigfoot, tarot card reading, etc, etc. I do not take pride in being an UFO abduction disbeliever, why should I take pride in being a god disbeliever?

The only thing that binds with me with other atheists is our lack of belief in gods. I have no idea, when meeting another atheist, if I'll have anything else in common (besides the likelihood that they are also critical thinkers) that will bind us. I go surfing with some great friends, that are all theists, several times a week. At least once a year we will go on an extended surf trip to some exotic location. I am much more likely to be bound to another surfer I just met, than an atheist I just met.

"You surf? Cool! Where have you been, what kind of board do you ride? Where you in the water today? Have you ever been to location X? How long have you been surfing? I'm going tomorrow. You want to meet somewhere?". This conversation can go on for hours. Ask my girlfriend who has been bored to tears with surfing conversations.

"You're an atheist? Cool! What else do we have in common? Nothing? Nice to meet you?" This conversation is likely to be over in minutes.