I've taken off from there. That was bad enough.

Oh please, it is not racist or xenophobic to note Saudi Arabia is not exactly land of the free. It is hardly stereotyping to point out that they do not have religious freedom there. What planet do you live on? Perhaps we are not referencing the same SA.

Lols - obviously the definitive source for adjudicating all debates.

Oh for crying out loud. Why are some people so determined to belittle the idea that maybe, just maybe, atheists in fact have some reasonable complaints?

I like it. It's not Portland or anything, but it keeps us sane.

The People's Republic of Lockeland Springs, as I call it. Home to a lot of music industry people no one outside of town has ever heard of, and the most fanatical dog lovers this side of the moon.

You don't even know. Maybe, maybe, if we could talk about his in person, I might be able to explain the nuances to you. But in this format at least, you do not seem all that interested. You come across determined to belittle the lived experience of a human you don't even know.

I am academic, I go where the job is. I applied everywhere, and wound up just a skip or two from where I grew up. But I do live in the most liberal square mile in Tennessee, and I get to teach and read books for a living, so I really can't complain much.

I'm not in the discrimination Olympics. I'm a white male in the United States, a member of perhaps the most privileged class of humans in the history of our species. So besides not going out of my way to cause trouble for myself by talking about my lack of religion, I also keep my mouth shut (most of the time) about…

It was. Music notation as art. Something like a calligraphy exhibition. I particularly remember the very large notations spread out on the floor, as no wall (in the Serpentine) was big enough to hold them. It was very neat. Come to think of it, I guess I need to fork out some bucks to get this properly framed.

Not to be maudlin, but ours is not an easy path. We each have to figure out our own route. I respect the loudmouths, but it's not a place I feel safe. I wish you the best in sorting this out.

I had none of those. My first apartment poster I in fact still have. I think its deep meaning is "I went to London in 1986":

Quit with the "Christiansplaining" please. Yeah, I'll quit my job and just move. Whatever. There are in fact about 800 or so positions in the whole damn country for what I do - and the competition is fierce. Go live in Saudi Arabia as a non-Muslim for a few years and report back to me how simple it is. Really, it is…

We are each a very particular sample. My high school crowd has mostly remained very conservative. There is a small clique of us who smile knowingly and click our glasses at reunions. And I do wonder about my friends who aren't fooling anyone about their sexuality and yet profess their love for Sarah Palin. We humans…

A lot of people thought they were not polite at all. Are you familiar at all with actual history, as opposed to some sanitized version of it? Many of my white Southern ancestors did not distinguish at all between Malcom X and MLK Jr. Does "Martin Luther Coon" mean anything to you at all?

You did not reply to some random entity, you replied to me. You told me, "Don't be that asshole." All you had to go on was that I indicated I was atheist.

I could say something about religion messing stuff up, but Lindy West would be upset with me: http://jezebel.com/how-to-be-an-a…

Well, it sure looks like "B" the atheist is supposed to be the asshole. I was supposed to think "A" the believer was? What? Sorry - your response makes no sense.

Easily said if you belong to the majority club.

I from the Deep South. Some of my high school pals are pastors. I don't get a lot of atheism posts in my feed. An old high school buddy asked me about "coming out." I basically advised him not to. Some of us got schooled a long time ago. It sticks with you. I'm only forthright when I am anonymous. Otherwise, I keep my…