In the latest issue of Rolling Stone (full article not available online), comedian Ricky Gervais talks about his atheism. That’s not new. I just like this accompanying picture:

I’m pretty sure that’s what fundamentalist Christians think about when they hear the word “atheist”…
Gervais isn’t alone in talking about his atheism, though.
He’s joined by Kari Byron from Mythbusters, who discusses it in an interview at Suicide Girls:

Keith Daniels: Well one thing I’m curious about. Do you believe in God? Are you an atheist?
Kari Byron: I am an atheist, but I don’t begrudge anyone for whatever belief systems they hold.
KD: Sure. Did you ever in believe in God? What age were you, and how did you realize that you were an atheist?
KB: I think somewhere around the second grade. I remember specifically having this conversation with my grandmother… I had a lot of little friends, and one of them was a Buddhist. I remember [my grandmother] telling me that that little girl wouldn’t go to Heaven, and I just couldn’t wrap rationalize that this little girl wouldn’t go to Heaven because she believed in something else. It got me really questioning. I just kind of quietly stopped believing, and I didn’t go to church after that with my grandmother any more unless she really asked. I didn’t believe it. I started out religious I guess. Semi-religious. I had holiday Catholics as parents. [Laughs]
KD: As a parent yourself, would you like your daughter to be a non-believer as well? Or will you present both sides and see what she comes up with?
KB: What I’d like [my daughter] to do is to be a critical thinker. I would really like her to keep that child-like critical thinking that she has. I won’t force any belief system that I have on her, but I’m not going to present a case [for her] in something that I don’t personally believe in. If she comes home someday and says she wants to believe… I will love her no matter what she does, [Laughs] but I’m not going to present a religious case to her. I’m not religious; I don’t believe in it, and I sometimes find it a little bit dangerous. But I will love her no matter what she decides.
KD: Dangerous in what way?
KB: I’m a true believer in science — it’s subject to change and evolve. I have a hard time sometimes with the un-evolving, stern, ‘this is the way it is’ answers that religion gives you.
This whole post was really just an excuse to post a picture of Kari.
Now back to your regularly scheduled blog.