I would be interested to hear which places in rural america, and specifically what law makes atheism unlawful.
It's not illegal in terms of private life, but certain jobs, particularly public office are forbidden outright to atheists on the state level. I'm more worried about the social consequences, though, since it obviously wouldn't hold up in court.
I don't remember exactly where I read about these laws, so it's entirely possible I'm completely mistaken. It was in the past year, though, which makes me a little more confident that I had reason to trust the source.
If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.