By now you all know that I think it’s a good thing for atheists to be out of the proverbial closet. I’ve had a scarlet letter lapel pin for a few months now and wear in on occasion. Yesterday I got a letter and lapel pin from the American Humanist Association encouraging me to be out to friends, family, and co-workers. In the AHA newsletter, which I also got yesterday, they’re encouraging us to wear the pins the whole day on July 4, whether we’re at parades, parties, or work.

If I could I would be marching in Boise’s 4th of July Parade with the Idaho Atheists, but I can’t. I’ll be busy at work. If I go out after work, I very well may put on both lapel pins, but I’m not going to wear it at work. When religious conversations come up at work, I think we should be free to speak our minds, but that is not the place to be going around spouting off what you believe or don’t believe to everyone who walks through the door.

Last year, I had a colleague who wore “God’s Army of One” dog tags. An obvious play on the “Army of One” dog tags recruiters were giving out a few years ago. I let it slide for a few days (I was his manager), but I finally pulled him aside. I put it quite simply, “Do you think those dog tags are appropriate at work? How would you feel if I wore dog tags that said ‘There is no God’?”

He took them off and I never saw them again.

Most work places are not appropriate places for atheist or humanist lapel pins. If you have to interact with the public, work for a conservative Christian, or are in a management role you should keep that kind of stuff to yourself or save it smoke breaks or lunch room conversations when somebody starts going on about their church, talking about Bible verses, or complaining about atheists. Those are all suitable times to bring it up, especially since if a complaint comes up you have the grounds to defend yourself.

Actually, now that I think about it, a lapel pin, regardless of what it is, doesn’t belong on your work attire unless it’s issued by your employer.

If you’re not afraid of people finding out and you only bring up your lack of belief in appropriate contexts then trust me, the rumor mill will do the work for you and pretty soon everybody will know that their kind, hard working co-worker is an atheist.