Hello Angie.

Atheism isn't believing, it's not believing the claims that there are gods. That is the one thing that atheists have in common.

As to abortion, politics and gay marriage, I've met atheists on different sides of these issues.

I support a woman's right to safe access to abortion. I don't feel that pressure of any kind should be put on women to have babies or abortions, these are personal and privet decisions that they can make for themselves.

I happen to be very liberal, but I can understand that politics has less to do with the claims about gods than about how we as a society conduct ourselves. In a nation of 300 + million people, there isn't a snowballs chance in hell of having a small government, which means we need to be involved with the one we have to insure that it remains answerable to the people, and not the corporations.

I have many gay and lesbian friends. I have yet to hear any argument that holds water against their rights to wed. Religious views are fine, and if a minister, or church body wishes not to perform weddings for G&L's that is their right, but to prevent others from being able to get married because they think their god or gods forbid it is not how a secular government or society should do things.

I object to the imposition of rules based on the religious views of others. If someone wants to feel that a god is telling them they must give birth, that's fine, but when they try applying that thinking to others, they step on the rights of others.

Hope this helps you with your assignment.

Quite a request, Angie. My views are not easy to abbreviate in a short message...but I'll try. I believe that the United States is a nation based on individual freedoms granted and protected by the US Constitution. Those rights extend to ALL people living under its protection...and that includes women, gays, lesbians, and everyone else.

The right to PRIVACY is protected by the Constitution...and that is the basis of Roe v. Wade which determined that medical procedures are the private decisions of women and their physicians. Abortion is included in that privacy issue.

As to gay marriage....the best response has been by the Mass. SC...which established that marriage is a contract granted by the states and CANNOT discriminate in the granting of that contract on the basis of sexual orientation. That would be illegal. So, gay marriage is no different than any state contract between two consenting adults...and gays should have all the hundreds of rights granted to heterosexual marriage partners.

As to politics.... I could write a book. :-) You'd have to be very specific....there's a world of political issues out there, and I don't have any view that covers them all.

But, thanks for asking..