As an atheist, it is always upsetting to me when I see articles or videos laying out supposed ground rules about what theists should or should not say to an atheist. First off, nobody gets to decide what is or is not acceptable to ask anyone. This is America, and you can say or ask anything you want.

But what really bothers me about this is that this attitude stands in the way of progress. I, for one, welcome any and every opportunity to educate any interested party about what I believe. So, here is a short list of things you should absolutely say to an atheist.

1. Isn't atheism just another religion?

A fair question. The answer is no. Religions make a positive assertion: that there is a supernatural deity, or there are many supernatural deities. Atheism is simply a rejection of that claim. There is no doctrine or dogma that atheists are required to follow, and there is no atheist "way of life". By definition, atheism is not a religion. It is the opposite.

2. Why do you hate God?

I don't. I don't believe at any gods exist. I don't hate Santa Claus or the easter bunny. I just don't think they are real.

3. You can't prove God doesn't exist.

That's true, and I would never make that claim. As stated above, atheism is the rejection of a claim, not an assertion. There certainly are atheists who positively assert no gods exist, and believe they can prove it. They are in the minority, and I disagree with that claim.

It is important to understand that, in an argument, the side making a positive assertion has a burden of proof that must be fulfilled. If you told me that unicorns exist, and that you have one in your backyard, I would need you to provide verifiable evidence of that. Failing to do so would leave me with the conclusion that, while there is no way I can prove that unicorns do not exist, you have failed to provide me with a good reason to believe that they do. The same thing goes for religion.

4. Why do atheists pick on Christianity?

This is also a good question. Particularly in the United States, atheists do have a tendency to to us on Christianity over other,arguably more harmful religions. I have been guilty of it myself. The reason for this is that it is the one closest to home. The Jainists are not trying to promote abstinence only education in public schools. The tenets of Taoism are not displayed in front of American secular courtrooms. I think you'll find that atheists in Indonesia (when they can avoid being executed) are far more outspoken against Islam than Christianity.

5. Why are atheists so angry?

I don't know that anger describes my personal overarching attitude. I am definitely frustrated when otherwise reasonable people do unreasonable or even horrific things in the name of something I consider to be a fairy tale. But many atheists are angry, and they should be. When Indonesian journalists are hacked to death in the street for criticizing Islam, that is a reason to be angry. When Christians and homosexuals are executed for being who they are, that is a reason to be angry. When people are considered to be inferior for not following the bible in America, that is a reason to be angry. People are killed every day so religion can stay powerful. That does make me angry.

There are plenty more questions and statements that could fit into this list. Feel free to share them in the comments. Remember, asking questions is how we learn. Don't shut down the conversation before it begins. That helps no one.