It's said that religion is the root of all evil but atheism has its share of despots. Remember Stalin and Hitler? Will Richard Dawkins' brights be the next guards at Tiananmen square?
Religions, and now Richard Dawkins, promote the view that peace and universal love will inevitably come if we all buy into the same belief system. Its never worked before so how many times do we have to make the same mistake before realising the answer lies in respect, tolerance and genuine delight in diversity of opinion.
It's not religions we need to stamp out but any notion that a particular belief is absolutely right.
Our schools should lead through teaching the history, art and literature of all major belief and non-belief systems. Broad education leads to tolerance - narrow teaching to intolerance, elitism, absolutism and the slippery slope of "for the greater good".
As for atheists "coming out" I think those of all beliefs and non-beliefs should come out in just the way gays have. All the gays I know simply want acceptance, not to have the rest of society adopt their own life style.
John LucasToronto, OntarioCanada
