As anyone will attest, atheism has a huge stigma. Basically, in a country as filled with Christian fervor as ours, atheism is (for most people) a big "unknown." When I was a believer, I didn't know much about atheists at all, and I suppose to some extent, I held some in-hindsight pretty unflattering assumptions about atheism that were based more on my imagination than reality. It's easy to feel as though something is menacing when your experience of it is very limited.
I've lived on the West Coast and now reside in the Midwest. The cultures are different, of course, in many ways. People here are pragmatic, reserved, and more stolid than anything-goes tolerance-centric Californians. There is quite a bit more overt Christian proselytizing here in Minnesota than there was in California, too. I don't know that there are more Christians here than there (I doubt it, really), but Midwestern Christian groups are more certain that their beliefs are the only valid ones, and more enthusiastic about displaying that certainty prominently in public. I remember moving here when I was a Christian and thinking that all that demonstrative showboating seemed to be in rather poor taste ("those who pray loudly in public" and all that), but then this is the bible belt, and I suppose that's why people say so.
Regardless, living in the Midwest, now as an atheist, can be rather nerve-wracking. It doesn't come up very often, since I spend most of my time hanging out with my family and close friends and I generally just ignore the Christian advertising everywhere - but I guess the pervasiveness of my clear philosophical difference from the general public out there wears me down a bit sometimes. I wouldn't say I'm "in the closet" about it exactly. When it comes up in conversation, I don't misrepresent my feelings and opinions, and I don't attack those with whom I disagree. Still, I'm never really sure what the response will be. It runs the gamut. In response to the question "what is your religion?" I've calmly made the simple statement "Oh, I don't actually believe in God - how about you?" and had people throw - literally - screaming name-calling fits about it. More often, people ask me a few questions (often inadvertently insulting, but that's okay - they are usually just curious and it doesn't make sense to get defensive at an honest mistake), or throw out a few challenges (which I try to answer as earnestly as possible based on my own experiences and research).
Mostly, I feel as though if I am a kind person and treat those around me with consideration and generosity, then when they find out I'm an atheist, perhaps it will allow them to rethink their assumptions about what that means. What it means is that I do not personally believe in a deity of any kind. I don't advocate for or against atheism. If people are curious enough to ask about it, I will share my feelings and experiences with them and tell them how I found myself here. Many people have the same questions I've had, and everyone must find their own answers - answers that allow them to remain true to their hearts and brains and help them find peace in the world. The answer that rang true for me was atheism, but there can be no doubt that that puts me firmly in the minority!
The Midwest is a lonely place for a nonbeliever, but it's impossible to force yourself to believe something just to fit in. I worry when I see polls that indicate that only 40-something percent of Americans would vote for an atheist and that most people think we don't share their view of what this country is about. Is that true? What do other people think our country is about that somehow excludes me? I believe in the principles of the Enlightenment, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. I believe in freedom and tolerance and rational governance and justice for all. I believe in the American dream and that every American deserves an equal shot at prosperity and happiness. I always thought these were the things that made me a good American, and things that I shared with almost every other American. Was I wrong? Does being an atheist somehow negate my other beliefs? Apparently so, in the eyes of most of our population - especially in the country's religious midsection.
Nonetheless, I'm proud to be an atheist. It was a long journey to get here, and I left no stone unturned in my search for faith. It wasn't until I'd tried everything else and was finally forced (out of fairness, really) to learn about atheism, too, that everything fell into place. Now I feel comfortable that I've come to the truth, and all the questions that once drove me in search of understanding finally have answers I can live with. No more excuses, no more trying to force a round peg of reason into the square hole of faith. I'm glad to be a non-believer, regardless of the public's general misunderstanding of what that means. I feel happy and comfortable living a small life for what it is, appreciating the company of my fellow human beings, and enjoying every wonderful thing that observable reality has to offer.
I'm here to share and will try to be respectful and answer genuine questions and observations when they arise.