I was a stamp collector when younger and still have an interest. I notice that the U.S. has issued stamps honoring holidays of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and a few Catholic saints as well. There’s nothing per se wrong with the nation paying tribute to the different strands that created the American tapestry, but why leave out atheists? (I am not an atheist; I call myself an agnostic but spiritual person.) As far as I can tell, the only atheist honored with a stamp has been Tom Paine back in 1968, and that was with a 40 cents stamp hardly anyone used. How about a Forever stamp series honoring other atheists?

Atheists have challenged superstition and ignorance and have expanded the field of science, art and philosophy. Like people of faith, they fought and died for America. They have served in every kind of government post. (And we know that despite their claims to the contrary, several U.S Presidents and governors and numerous legislators really had no real faith at all.) Atheists have started no violent hate groups, have never bombed a clinic offering choices to women, don’t push anti scientific nonsense that is often dangerous, and are happy to let people believe whatever they wish so long as they stay out of everyone else’s private spaces. And they never, ever tell people like me we are doomed to hell because we don’t buy into their idiocy.

Atheists brought the case that led the Supreme Court to ban mandatory prayer in schools. (As a non-Christian forced to sit through readings from the St. James Bible until freed by the Court, I am eternally grateful to the atheists and the Supreme Court for sparing other non-Christian children the same torment.)

So let’s hear it for the American atheists!

And let’s put many more of them on our stamps!