As a non-religious, non-atheist person, I’m fascinated by those who are adamantly certain, to the point of getting religious about it, that god does not exist.

Richard Dawkins, atheist hero of the Left, thinks they need to organize:

When you think about how fantastically successful the Jewish lobby has been, though, in fact, they are less numerous I am told – religious Jews anyway – than atheists and [yet they] more or less monopolise American foreign policy as far as many people can see. So if atheists could achieve a small fraction of that influence, the world would be a better place.

That ole Jewish lobby again, such monopolists!

I love the qualifier “as far as many people can see.” It can be quite useful. For example, “Richard Dawkins is an ignorant anti-Semite as far as many people can see.”

Anyway, he’s ministering to his flock starting a movement.

His organisation, established two months ago, complete with T-shirts bearing a large red A, is the Out Campaign. “It does not mean outing, definitely not … we want to encourage people to come out because there is a big closet population of atheists who need to come out.”

His estimates, which square broadly with official data, show that atheists in the US account for about 10% of the population. “I have had many letters from people saying ‘I don’t dare give my opinions. I am afraid of my family. I am afraid of my wife, I am afraid of my husband. I am afraid of my work people. I am afraid of being fired’.”

Prof Dawkins appeared as one of the stars of the Atheist Alliance convention in Crystal City, Virginia, at the weekend.

He admitted he was “a little bit hesitant” about being an Englishman talking to Americans and he showed “a certain amount of deference” when asked about US politics. “But I think that this country is so powerful and what goes on politically here is so enormously influential, the rest of the world is entitled to have a say. We don’t get the vote here but I think people are entitled to express an opinion.”

Hey, Richard: God spelled backwards is “dog.” And atheist pulled apart is “at heist.” As far as many people can see.