Atheists Overwhelmingly Mistrusted in America

According to this article, from Psychology Today, Atheists are still the most hated/mistrusted group in America. The article is dated August 2009 and quotes the most recent survey about this subject (from the American Sociological Review).

I think the primary reason we should volunteer in our community is because it's fulfilling and gratifying to know that we are helping others. Assisting someone less fortunate than ourselves makes us feel good because we can provide something for them that they wouldn't otherwise have. It also reminds us that we are fortunate to have a roof over our head, food to eat, a good education, or a family that cares about us. Some lucky few have all of the above.

But as Atheists, Humanists, Freethinkers, and other non-believers, there is a side benefit to getting out in our community and talking about it. We can combat the perception that we are amoral and evil. We can combat the perception that we can't be trusted. We can combat the perception that we only care about ourselves. We can combat the perception that all we care about is attacking religion and religious beliefs.

We can do all this by simply getting out into our community and making a difference for those in need. We don't have to brag about it or advertise it, but we can share our contributions with our community. We can make a difference in the world.