Whenever I profess that I'm not religious to a new friend, I have a twinge of stress. The reaction I usually get is "how can you live like that?" but there are far more pretentious responses I have received, such as "have you ever heard of don't ask, don't tell?"

Since when did not being religious become a huge stigmatization? I think I speak for many religious minorities, along with the underrepresented minorities of atheists and agnostics on campus, when I ask Christian leaders, politicians and supporters to quit assuming that just because you are the dominate culture, we all agree with your views.

Quit pressing legislation on us which you view as "moral" that the minority of us think is a violation of our rights. Quit trying to convert us. I gave up on your religion a long time ago for my own reason, so don't come knocking at my door bothering me with a subject I find particularly frustrating.

Atheists and agnostics have little to no voice in this country, as exemplified by former President George H.W. Bush's 1987 quote during a speech in Illinois: " … I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God."

This man was running our country, and I, as an agnostic, feel threatened by the religious views closing in around my rights. I hate to use a cliché here, but atheists and agnostics are people too.

Tim Matthews
geological sciences freshman