Why would anyone want to make a point of being an atheist unless he wants to start a fight?
Yup...that's the ticket. Shut up everyone who doesn't agree with you....
...oh, wait...we've got an amendment....
QED.
Well, couldn't an atheist who believed in personal integrity and who thought being reasonable was important or even a duty AND who thought it was reasonable to be an atheist -- couldn't such a person not only be one but be willing to say s/he was one?
I guess my question would be, "How does disclosing one's lack of belief in one of the tens of thousands of belief systems sound like an invitation to a fight?"
Why would anyone want to make a point about being a Christian unless they want to start a fight. You are biased. Why would people want to make a point about JFK's Catholicism? It was very much an issue in his election.