“I steadfastly maintain that only with the complete, irrevocable rejection of God and the supernatural will humankind truly begin to live. Rather than producing a feeling of despair, the decision to embrace atheism should result in an exhilarating, almost intoxicating sense of freedom, something akin to the experience of those American slaves who rejoiced upon hearing news of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Only the atheist is truly free.”

If we can quote biblical verses with one opinion and ironically state the truth comes from atheism- it seems confusion has found a partner with this author. If he stayed consistent- the truth shall make you free(John 8:32) is a biblical term and he wouldn't have plagiarized it to support an unbiblical concept. Ironic that he used steadfastly- because he was just copying the words of the God he denies. Advice- read I Tim. 1: 5-10.

"The fool has said in his heart, there is no God".

I doubt anyone has the knowledge to deny or assert the existence of a creator or supernatural being called a God. However, we clearly know enough to know that RELIGION is a man made construct used for a multiplicity of reasons, amongst them, the herding of people into doing what the leaders desire no matter how evil. God, if there is one, wrote nothing. Neither did Jesus or Allah. Joseph Smith copied the Morman bible by looking through a hat into the earth. Abraham nearly killed his son, according to him, before the word was revealed to him. Mohammed rode a chariot into the heavens to chat with God, Moses got the word, privately of course, and returned with two stone tablets, maybe. No one should take this stuff very seriously.