In short, I hesitate to project my own beliefs on my young children and I too am distracted when others do this regarding their own young children.

I’d buy irreligious children, though.

Our little ones did get the chance to meet other atheist children there, which was the primary reason for us going. We had a wonderful time! Now, if only we could find more people to play chess with our children, or even better, Go.

I live in central Ohio and I never knew about this event, otherwise I would have been there with (heathen) bells on!

Dang.

Atheist is just the most common and recognizable handle, I think, for this wide group of people. Perspectives on respect for Christians, too, varied a bit. Hemant of course argues for friendly, nonconfrontational atheism, and many members at the event agree. Even the more strident atheists were very welcoming and tolerant to the “believers” waving signs across the street; the protesters were invited in, but they wouldn’t come into the barn.

I think only a Christian with a severe persecution fetish would see this event as at all threatening. The event aimed to celebrate atheism and help form a kind of open, helpful atheist community- not take down or insult Christianity.

As far as atheist TV characters go- I draw an unsurprising blank. I’ll let you know if I think of any!

Your post makes me wonder if there has ever been a television show based on a good-natured family that included some atheists.

I’m sure that many believers would jump in and say that most TV shows feature “atheists” based on the fact that most TV shows don’t show families engaged in prayer or going to church or talking about God. I would counter, however, that most TV shows simply avoid the topic. No, those TV families aren’t shown going to church but they aren’t shown expressing their strong confident beliefs that God is a made up fairy tale being, belief in whom is wholly unnecessary for those kind and decent people who want to live kind and decent lives.

That is the thought that I had as you showed the photos of the folks gathering together, including the families.

Can anyone help me with my question? Has there ever been a popular TV show on which the main characters unambiguosly expressed themselves to be happy, confident atheists who were nonetheless wholesome taxpaying members of society?

Here’s a few other things I’m wondering. What does “atheist” mean to people in the gathering, as best you can tell? Were meaningful distinctions made between atheists and agnostics? http://dangerousintersection.org/2007/03/03/the-semantics-of-secular-labels/

For instance, did you have many Einsteinian theists among the atheists? http://dangerousintersection.org/2007/04/08/einsteins-god/

How much pain would a devout, yet open-minded religious believer feel as he/she listened to the presentations? Maybe what I’m trying to ask is whether there was tolerance in the air, or was there a sustained attack on the “lack of intelligence” of believers?

I’m asking because I’ve never been to a gathering of people who assemble together, the exuse being their commonly held atheistic world views.

Thanks, again, for sharing.