"In god we trust" has been the national motto of the United States since 1956. It appears on our currency, in our courthouses, and in several government buildings. Some consider it purely ceremonial, void of any religious meaning. Others believe it reflects our status as a "Christian nation." And among secular Americans, only a small minority seem to think it is worthy of our attention. I happen to disagree with this position.

The Guardian had an interesting article yesterday, "Women bloggers call for a stop to 'hateful' trolling by misogynist men" that deserves a read. As an atheist blogger, I expect a certain amount of hate mail from Christians and Muslims. But as a man, threats of rape and other gender-specific degradation are not among the things I've faced. It is important for me - and for other men reading this - to keep this in mind and help where we can.

School bullying is not only disruptive to the learning environment; it has lasting psychological consequences for the victims. Since school personnel often seem unable or unwilling to stop it, laws are sometimes needed. This is what Michigan Democrats were attempting to do in SB 137, an anti-bullying bill named after a 14 year-old who killed himself after he was bullied.

Not only did Senate Republicans strip language that would have prohibited bullying based on the victim's race, gender, sexual preference, and other characteristics, but they added something that actually seems to condone certain forms of bullying:

The bill lays out what exactly constitutes bullying, but in one key part it says that the legislation does not prohibit First Amendment rights, and “does not prohibit a statement of a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction of a school employee, school volunteer, pupil, or a pupil’s parent or guardian.”

This statement turns what was an anti-bullying law into one that actually permits religiously-based bullying. I fear that life just became more difficult for many children in Michigan.

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On November 8, voters here in Mississippi will elect our next governor. We will also decide whether to approve the most extreme abortion ban yet to be attempted. This comes in the form of Initiative 26, a measure to amend the state constitution to confer "personhood" on fertilized eggs. Not only would this ban abortion in Mississippi, it may outlaw many popular forms of birth control. If passed, Initiative 26 is likely to have national implications because proponents have been clear about using it to get Roe v. Wade overturned in the Supreme Court.

I do not remember the moment when I first realized I was an atheist. It was a gradual process that unfolded over at least a couple of years and did not end in some flash of realization. However, I do remember the reactions of my family and friends:

You're not really an atheist; you're just mad at god.

If you're an atheist, then why is the universe here?

Man, something really bad must have happened to you.

So you just worship yourself, huh?

What I remember most about these statements and the hundreds of others like them I have heard since I accepted reality is their tone. They were nearly always delivered with an air of conceited certainty, as if each posed some sort of insurmountable challenge for me. But that was never the case.

It is not that I have all the answers. I didn't then, and I don't now. But I recognize that some questions do not have answers and that others have answers we just haven't found yet. I also recognize how ridiculous it is to assume that god must be the default answer for every unknown.

I used to wonder why so many Christians seemed unable to understand this. I suspect now that these Christians did not want to think because doing so might jeopardize their faith. Perhaps this explains why so many Christians seem so hostile when asking such questions. The atheist has to be wrong for them to be right.

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