One claim that atheists, particularly those living in the United States; will hear is that there is some sort of atheist conspiracy to destroy Christianity and other religions. Indeed many Christians and Muslims think that there is a secret cabal of militant atheists secretly working to destroy their faiths.
The best response to these claims is to note that responsible atheists believe in the freedom of religion. That is atheists respect the right of others to practice their faith as long as it does not threaten the freedom or lives of others.
Indeed atheists should be strong advocates of religious freedom because atheists have often been persecuted for their beliefs. In some countries such as Iran it is still illegal to be an atheist.
Atheists and Conspiracy Theories
Atheists should also take note of the conspiracy theories and worry about them. In the past imaginary conspiracy theories have often been used as a justification for the oppression and sometimes murder of members of unpopularity minority groups.
This means that atheists should work to refute the ridiculous claims made about them. A good way to do this is to not interfere with religion and to publicly defend believers in religion who are being persecuted.
It should made clear that atheists have no desire to have their beliefs forced upon children or to abolish religious education. Instead atheists should work for tolerance for all beliefs.
Another to counter such claims is for atheists to give money or volunteer time to religious organizations that are doing good works in the community. An example of this would be for atheists to volunteer at a soup kitchen or donate money to religious groups that help the poor.
This enables atheists to demonstrate that they are good and caring human beings. It also shows that atheists are broadminded and willing to recognize that religion can be a force for good.
Finally atheists need to make a strong stand in favor of laws, governments and countries that exist to protect human freedom. Atheists need to show that they are good patriotic citizens who are willing to pay taxes, serve in the military when necessary and obey the law.
In particular atheists need to show their support for laws such as the First Amendment to the United States Constitution that establish freedom of religion. Atheists must stand up for such laws even in the face of popular opposition in order to disprove their critics.