If someone would be brash enough to poll the people on the street, gathering what few atheists are swimming in the crowd (that is if you could get anyone to answer you about such a delicate subject), the pollster would unfortunately find a number of nominal non-believers who state rather curious reasons for their non-belief in a Supreme Being. Sadly, a person can rail against God and religion in general based upon an emotional response to a tragedy in their lives, or a person forced to go to church by their parents may say, "Hey, I'm an atheist, dude. My stupid parents make me get up early every Sunday and go to that boring place!"

A friend was telling me about his late-father's theological roller-coaster ride: The man was a devoted Xian for most of his life, then curiously became an atheist briefly for some reason. Then the man became a Prodigal Son, and "got right with God" before his death. A Xian reading this may state with glee, "now that is the Power of the Lord!" Actually, that the man could waver so radically is evidence that he wasn't really an atheist at all, but was probably angry about something - a death, a failed relationship, or just plain peeved about the rotten state humans have brought to this planet. "Now, there just can't be a God to allow innocent people to die..."

This is not an insult directed at my friend's late father, or an admonishment about being "more atheist than thou." The fact is, atheism is non-belief in a personal God. It is within the realm of metaphysics that a person states non-belief due to lack of any concrete data to support a belief system in a Supreme Being's existence. One does not have to be a high-brow intellectual to meet the criteria of atheism, but it is highly curious when one denies the existence of God largely due to his or her angry or melancholy state from their own personal level. I would call such the "Pissed at God" lobby, if you would pardon the phrase. Often those shaking their fists at the heavens will most likely return to their former theism when things improve for them, or ante-up with Pascal's Wager when it looks like their deaths are imminent. Sadly, such described people were never atheists at all, but more along the lines of angry, disgruntled Christians, lapsed Catholics, etc. A four-year old child who doesn't receive a desired X-mas gift may be disappointed in Santa Claus, or even deny that St. Nick really flies the skies every December 24, but when he/she gets the coveted gift on the following Christmas, the attitude toward Santa becomes much more benign. Theists can often be like this in their wavering "faith" in their God.

However, their is a great deal of solidity with most atheists, convinced in their non-faith. Likely, Xians will think that all atheists are just "lost sheep," angry at their deity, and will come around, or find a belief in Yahweh. But it seems that in reality most Xians are actually nominal in their belief system; few Xians pay more than scant attention to the concepts of their respective church doctrines and creeds - especially in the practice of the ethical precepts. Atheists are largely grounded and staid within their ideas, and are not easily swayed by their own subjective emotions concerning the existence of God. Let's just say that a "real" unbeliever will not waffle when his or her fortune in life waxes or wanes. They don't believe in a god, no matter if they live on Park Avenue, or are homeless underneath an interstate bridge. "Emotional Atheism" can be said to be one of the many oxymorons spoken out in the world, as lip-service Christianity seems to be the norm amidst its adherents.

Ergo, I am always skeptical when I hear about a self-proclaimed infidel "getting religion." The chances are high that he or she was actually a theist in the closet all along, and "came out" when the emotional clouds abated from his/her life.