Dear American theist, I don’t believe in God, and I don’t think you should either, however I am not going to hold it against you if you disagree. Conversely, I assume that you DO believe in God, and you think that I should too, however you are not going to hold it against me if I disagree. Moving on, I feel that religion should be kept out of the public sphere, and perhaps you agree or perhaps not. If you disagree, I promise not to hold your opinion against you, and I hope that you don’t hold my opinion against me.

However, know that if you choose to ACT on your opinion and try to impose religion into the public sphere, I will fight you. It’s not personal. I respect your right to your belief, and I respect that you feel obligated to act on those beliefs. But that doesn’t mean I won’t act on my own beliefs if push comes to shove. Defending my rights is not an offensive action.

I respect your right to post the ten commandments in your place of business, and will not demand that you stop even though I think they are nonsense. I respect your right to put a cross on your church steeple, and will never complain even though I personally find the cross to be a divisive emblem. You can place a creche in your home, on your lawn, at your church or business, even in your private school.

However, I cannot allow you to place one on my courthouse, or in my public square, or at the public school. Not because I personally am offended by it. I’m actually not offended by it. No, the reason I cannot allow it is because it’s not YOUR courthouse or YOUR square or YOUR school. Those things belong to everyone, and we both know that.

So it’s not because I think you should stop believing in God that I object to mingling church and state, although I do think that. It’s not because I am offended by your religion either, as it happens I’m not offended by it. It’s because I respect your right to your beliefs, and I expect you to respect mine.

Is that too much to ask?

Answer to a Facebook meme.

Here’s the background. The city of Steubenville, Ohio recently commissioned a new logo. The one in the upper left was selected. A city resident asked the ffrf to get involved and they contacted the city to suggest the cross be removed. The cross is there because Steubenville is home to a University run by the Catholic Church, and the silhouette is the chapel there.

I have made a sampling of alterations to the logo, to demonstrate why non-Christians find the inclusion of a cross offensive. If you believe, know that we non-believers are not offended that you have faith. We are offended that you push it on us. Just as you would be offended if most of these other logos were selected. But be honest; isn’t one of these options better than all of the others?

I bought the t-shirt my local community fireworks committee designed to raise funds. It had the stupid motto on it. I fixed it.

Kate Winslet for president!