More atheists are sharing their views

By PETER SMITH • The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal • October 9, 2008 LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Alan Canon grew up in a fundamentalist household and was a Bible camp prize winner. But his family also valued science, and he ultimately couldn’t reconcile the two and became an atheist. “For people openly to say they’re atheist is similar to gay people coming out,” said Canon, of Louisville, who often wears a pin with a scarlet-letter “A” to prompt conversations about atheism. “It’s not popular at all for people to say they’re atheist, especially in these parts.” He’s part of an increasingly vocal minority of atheists and other Americans who claim no religious affiliation. The percentage of religiously unaffiliated Americans has doubled since 1990, rising to 16%. That growth represents one of the largest trends in American religion... [read full story]