The word atheist has been successfully co-opted by religious leaders with agendas and positions of power and influence. They recognize that what they are using to generate a living is threatened by a moral awakening of humanity.
I don't care what religion someone professes, they are all equally unlikely to be "true" in any meaningful sense. The sobering fact to all religious people should be that no matter what they say is "true", 80% of the rest of humanity says..."uh, no, you totally have X, Y and Z wrong and are going to burn for it".
I do not feel the need to justify why I lack any beliefs. I do not justify a lack of belief in fairies, goblins, ghosts, demons, angels, Pegasus, Apollo, Jupiter, Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, Ra, etc, etc, etc. I do not justify a lack of belief in Allah, Yahweh, Jehovah, Krishna, Shiva, the Buddha (technically not a "god", I know). I do not justify a lack of belief that a human could survive a free-fall dive off of a sky-scraper.
I do not claim to be anything that my actions are not...unlike many, many so-called "Christians".
Morals come from upbringing. Period, full stop.
If you are raised fundamentalist Muslim, then be-headings of thieves is not "cruel and unusual", its "justice".
If you are raised fundamentalist Christian, then prejudice and hatred of homosexuals is not bigotry, it is "god's will".
If you are raised fundamentalist Jew, then you do not see territorial impositions on Palestinian land as theft, you see promises kept.
My children have been raised without any influence from a church or organized religion at all. They know it is wrong to steal, it is wrong to kill, it is wrong to hurt or silently watch another be hurt. They know that all people - regardless of skin, age, sex, private predilections - are entitled to be judged solely on their character and interactions with other people and in no way by the myths of the past. They know that it is unacceptable to prey on the weak or allow others to pick on their family members without defending those in need.
I am always struck by an event that happened to me while travelling through rural Illinois on the way to Chicago. I had all 5 of my children with me and my wife was unable to travel with us due to work commitments. As we were driving, I stopped for gas and food and allowed the kid's to talk me into McDonald's. As we were there, the usual delays and chaos ensued around us, but my kids went to sit at a table and wait for the food. They were not angels, but they were respectful of the other diners and by and large well-behaved.
Just before we were leaving, a gentleman in his late-60's or early 70's approached me and said, "You should be commended. Those are some of the best behaved children I have ever seen and they should make you proud. The Lord is upon them." I just smiled, shook his hand and said, "Thank you." I did not need to say anything else because the satisfaction is mine and always will be and that is this:
It does not require any kind of "god", "gods" or "religion" to raise children with consciences, with morals and with values and respect. It takes loving parents and grandparents and hard work. No holy book or priest or minister is the gatekeeper either. I know this from personal experience and that is good enough for me.
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