I get a lot of feedback on these videos from religious people who may disagree with atheists,
but who do support an open exchange of ideas.
You know, they're against it when atheists are discriminated against; if not under the law, then at least socially.
And they want to know what they can do to help.
So, first of all, thank you if you're one of the religious people who really wants to help us out.
And there are a few ways you could help.
Be a strong supporter of church-state separation.
A lot of times we see atheists come under attack because we fight to have,
you know, the Ten Commandments monuments removed from government property.
Or a Nativity scene taken away from City Hall.
And people say, "Oh, atheists just want to eradicate religion from the public square. They're totally anti-religious."
And hopefully, you know, that's not what we are. That's not what we're trying to do.
We're just pro neutrality. We want the government not to take sides when it comes to religious issues.
That means allowing monuments or displays from all beliefs, including no belief,
or having none at all.
Neutrality helps all of us.
Separation of church and state helps religion as much as it helps the government.
Atheist can't be the only ones fighting these battles. It would be nice to have some religious support.
Speak up when you hear someone unfairly stereotyping us.
You know, when your pastor, or parent, or neighbor says something unfair and untrue about atheists,
I hope you're the first one to correct them.
Speak out against the people in your faith
who use your faith for the worst possible reasons.
And not just the fringe extremists. I mean, that's obvious,
but if a pastor says, you know, "the Bible doesn't condone same-sex marriage"
or, you know, "the Bible says women have to just be silent and obey,"
you should be the person to speak out against that. Challenge them on it.
Say something, and say it publicly.
Lately, I've been hearing a lot of Christians speak out against Pastor Mark Driscoll
and the horrible things he said over the years.
And I can't tell you how refreshing it is
to hear Christians say something that I know a lot of atheists have been saying about the guy for a long time.
But the Driscoll saga shouldn't just be an anomaly. There' a lot of pastors who say some really awful things
and a lot of times his church members are usually defending him.
It would be nice to see more Christians speak out against that type of person.
And it's not just Christians either.
If you're a Muslim, I hope you support the free-speech rights of those
who may criticize your beliefs.
And I know Muslims have it really tough right now and there are some genuine bigots out there,
but not everyone who criticizes Islam
is automatically anti-Muslim or Islamophobic.
Don't be afraid to criticize the problems in your own beliefs.
You know, if there's a contradiction in the Bible,
admit it.
If you're Catholic and you think birth control isn't such a big deal as many Catholics do,
then don't be afraid to say the Catholic Church has it wrong on this one.
On a similar note, don't be afraid to admit your religion's limitations.
You know, the Bible doesn't really have a lot to say about a lot of modern issues.
And it's okay to admit the Bible doesn't have the solution to everything.
People who are willing to criticize their own community and their own beliefs when it's warranted,
are people I'm willing to take a lot more seriously.
Challenge us, as atheists, if we say something about your beliefs that's unfair.
You know, we're not going to bite your head off and I think all of us want to make fair arguments.
You know, when I criticize Christians now, I try to make it really clear what kind of Christians I'm referring to,
because I know they're not all monolithic.
There are Christians who support marriage equality, Christians who support abortion rights.
There are Christians who vote democrat.
But I wouldn't have started doing that
unless some very nice polite Christians
pointed that out to me.
Finally, don't treat us like targets who need to be converted.
You know, accept the fact that we're not just going through a phase
and we've actually thought this thing through.
If you only want to be around us because you think you'll somehow bring us closer to Christ,
you're not a real friend.
I'm sure there are many other ways religious people can help atheist.
Serious ways.
Not just by shutting up or not having kids or whatever other snarky things people in the comments are going to say.
So, if you have any good ideas, please let us know.
My name is Hemant Mehta and I write at FriendlyAtheist.com
Please, leave your comments below and we will check them out
and don't forget to subscribe.