A generation ago the words "American " conjured the image of the slightly cultish and loopy Madalyn Murray O’Hair. But in the last two years there have been five atheist best-sellers, one each from Professors Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett and two from the neuroscientist Sam Harris.

Dawkins, the bestselling author of The God Delusion has been suggesting for two years now that atheists can follow the example of gays. Remember when the word gay meant being happy and being homosexual meant something else. Somewhere along the line they decided to pick a positive-sounding name like "gay"….. and it stuck! Suddenly the meaning of the term "gay" was entirely appropriated by homosexuals. Dawkins cited this example in advocating that atheists call themselves "brights”

I AM A BRIGHT

The day I reconciled that inner dialogue over what I do and do not believe in I realized that I was now unburdened with having to perpetuate the delusion of belief in the supernatural. No more “pretend friends” to get me through the day or a difficult moment.

I was told by others that all I had to do was “believe that they believed” or that “faking it until I made it” would suffice and fill in any gaps in my faith. All very convenient “ploys” or “tricks” to deny any attempts at logical thought. I ultimately knew that I did not believe in god as the only evidence of gods’ existence was that people chose to believe that he existed. That’s it!

I will admit that I was not comfortable with identifying myself as an atheist as there was so much prejudice towards that term. An atheist is a somewhat negative term because it defines itself by what it is opposed to. "Bright" sounds so much happier and, more important, smarter. "Bright" kind of reflects the high opinion that atheists have of their own intellectual abilities or so I would like to think.

It is interesting that all believers, that is those that have chosen a worlrdview full of supernatural or mystical deities, forces, and entities think that those that choose not to believe should defend their position. The burden should be on religious people to argue for the truth of their claims. For the burden to be placed anywhere else is ludicrous and conveys the kind of arrogance common to true believers.