Whether you call it the atheism visibility movement, atheist activism, or being an asshole, there are some important things we can do by being vocal about the fact that we don’t believe in gods.

We can make other atheists feel more comfortable with who they are. There are a lot of people who are atheists but won’t admit it to themselves or anyone else because of misconceptions about what it means. By being vocal we can help clear up those misconceptions and might be able to get more of the “nones” to fall under the atheist banner.

There’s also a lot of newer atheists who are uncomfortable with who they are, don’t know how to live life now that they’re free of religion, or feel isolated in a world where it seems like everyone is a believer. By letting them know there are other atheists out there, especially ones who are well adjusted and comfortable with who they are, we can give them support and encouragement, even if we never find out.

We say something about ourselves. By letting believers who think every good person they know buys into the same bullshit they do and that those atheists over there are some vile “other”, they have no incentive or even reason to be accepting of atheists, whether its someone new they meet, a family member who is a recent de-convert, or a political candidate. If we let them know that they do know people, people they like and respect, who are atheists that don’t fit their prejudices, they will have no choice but to soften their view of the rest of us.

We can change the cultural climate. Finally, by breaking down the socially mandated wall around their sacred cow, others can see it for the bull shit that it really is. Don’t think gays should be able to get married? You’re a bigot. Think the world is 6000 years old and that we don’t share a common ancestor with the other apes? You’re an idiot.  It’s amazing how often people brag about things that they should be down right embarrassed to admit in public. Living your life in the 21st Century based on an Iron Age book is crazy enough, but to suggest that it be the guide to running a modern society is down right absurd. We won’t change the views of the people we mock derisively, but those who witness it will have to think and the victim of the mockery will think twice before saying something so embarrassing.