Atheism is no more a religion then bald is a hair colour - theists struggle so much with this concept because every fibre in their being insists everyone must be a some group-think camp or another (where their club happens to be the one with the correct revelation). The word Atheism literally mean ‘absence of belief in God(s)'.
I have been an Atheist my entire life and came to my own conclusions naturally, without a shred of indoctrination - pretty much starting with my experience in the 70's stuck in (at the time) compulsory bible study at school. As a big fan of palaeontology (even at 6) the stories of Noahs Flood were very confusing. The teacher fielded questions about the Dinosaurs demise with lame information about not fitting in the Ark (discounting the multitude of small Dino's) but got completely stuck when I ask what happened the aquatic reptiles like plesiosaurs. Seeing the teachers growing anger and irritation about being cornered by a mere child, and unable to explain something they regarded as so important, it become obvious to me that something was very 'off' with the entire thing and the first time I understood what being scammed meant.
Politically, economically and pragmatically I also align more closely with many conservative positions than I do for left leaning ideas (although I always review each on its own merit), but if I have to categorise myself in any camp (which I tend to avoid) then it has to be with the left, simple because Religion has hijacked the Right to further their own agenda and I see the same dishonesty at play that I did when I was a kid.
Sure, I also roll my eyes when I hear uber-Woke demands of recognition, ridiculous gender/identity labelling, overzealous ideas of returning the entire continent to native title or down-scaling the economy to stone age levels to drop temperature a degree or two. But at least most of these ideas seem founded in genuine altruistic concern for one group of people or another. The Religious Conservative agenda, on the other hand, seems to be driven these days from a much darker more selfish position, but hypocritically justifies itself based on interpretation of stories where (ironically) the main character is impossible to regard as anything other than a left-wing hippy.
Atheism, at least when it’s done properly, is a pretty lonely experience, but ultimately satisfying and cathartic – it’s nature is inherently sceptical and means you are never going to get accepted anyone’s club house because your sense of integrity to the purity of hard-won knowledge means never suspending acceptance of what you know is correct, just to fit in.
