Many atheist are afraid to come out of that proverbial closet. They could be in the closet for any number of a vast array of reasons.
In some areas, such as Saudi Arabia, coming out as an atheist could mean your death. In the United States and most other western nations, coming out will most likely result in losing friends, being disowned by family, or losing a lover.
People know this and, as a result, choose not to come out. They think they'll be left all alone and, for social species, loneliness can lead to depression and despair. If the person chooses to stay in the closet, they will be living a lie which also causes depression and despair. It's a lose-lose situation to them and this ambivalence only adds frustration to an already troublesome equation.
There is, however, a way to win; they need to find a community of like-minded people. If they can do that, they will have the ability to replace all the people they may lose by coming out. Others can manage living a lie, so long as they can escape to a secular community or forum.
A vast majority of the my blog posts are on the topic of anti-theism. On blogger, I am able to see what countries my viewers are from and I have many page views from South Africa. I've had people from Turkey, Malaysia, Bolivia, Madagascar, South Korea, and Israel all reading my blog. Perhaps, they are all looking for some like-minded people.
I hope those people find what they're looking for but some won't even know to look. That is why it's my job, as a humanist atheist, to come out of that closet pridefully and without apology. If you are an atheist who's come out, be loud so others can follow. If you have not come out, there's a community out there waiting for you.
Feel free to use the comment section to take that first step out of that goddamn closet and don't forget to use the #AtheistRollCall hash-tag on Twitter! (◕‿◕✿)
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