I am an atheist. I have been an atheist for some time now. I live my life without any need of a god whatsoever. That being said, I tried recently to spend an entire day without any god. It is impossible. Religion is so obtrusive.
I woke up and opened the blinds and right off there is a billboard advertising the Dallas Baptist Church. FAIL!
I walked my dog and every other car or so has a religious bumper sticker. Fail!
I stopped at the donut shop to by a coffee. I took out cash (I pay cash for everything) and right there on my money is "in god we trust". Fail!
I got back home and turned on the TV. The news was on. Immediately there was a tragic story about a person that died in a car wreck. Of course, there was a prayer vigil. Fail!
In the first hour of my awareness, I have been assaulted by god.
I defy anyone that can go through a whole day (in a relatively populated area) without god. You can't do it.
Now I am not asking for the world to be atheist, not at all. But I should expect to not have god references everywhere I go. They are relentless.
These experiences are just the minor intrusions that occur every day. They don't include the onslaught by religious nuts that attack people every day. On the weekends the religious nuts knock on doors or scream from busy street corners. People asking you to pray at the drop of a hat. You can't go to a ball game or watch one on TV without some homage to the christian god.
Ironically. I play basketball at a methodist church and there is no reference to a god except for the posters and signs everywhere. No prayers, no bible study at halftime. No organized god reference at all.
At my gym which I visit every day, there are signs all over that read "Mind Body Spirit" as if you could even exercise your spirit. It's funny that they want you to exercise your mind because you'd have to purge yourself of a god theory to do so. Makes the posters contradictory.
I don't mind people believing in a god. I really don't. I just take exception to having THEIR belief thrown in my face everywhere I go even if I just stay at home. I don't go around shoving atheism in anyone's face. Actually, I hardly mention it unless I am posting here or someone brings up religion in a conversation. I actually avoid talking about religion or atheism in my daily life. It just isn't necessary.
To me, religious people are like out of the closet gays. They flaunt their religion or their sexuality. I don't care if someone is gay OR religious but that is their personal choice. I don't flaunt my atheism or my sexual preference. It's no one's business but mine. In other words, things like public prayer are like a guy wearing a pink feather boa and fliting it in your face while lisping sexual innuendos to everyone within earshot!