AoG -Its about time we did away with the whole superstitious nonsense of official religions and official prayers.The idea that, by lip-synching to a few prayers our glorious peoples representatives are imbued with a superior morality and the reassurance that they are honest and honorable is patent nonsense.
Your comment about religion being a force for good over the last few thousand years is open to some serious debate as well - Religion has been- and still is- the cause of much of the worlds misery, death and dispair.
Atheism is not generally a categorical rejection of God, although some atheists may adopt that position - rather, it is the entirely reasonable and rational position of a lack of faith, in the absence of any credible, substantive evidence, in some sort of supernatural entity or creator.
After all, a sensible person like you doesnt have faith in unicorns or fairies at the bottom of the garden do you? You don't automatically believe everything an MP says merely because he is a self-professed christian do you?