Atheists, nontheists, secularists and others who believe in reason, not God, gather on the Mall for the first Reason Rally, seeking to defuse distrust of their views. Despite intermittent rain, several thousand people gathered on the lawn across from the National Museum of American History to hear a roster of speakers.

March 24, 2012 Kirsten and David Larson of Appleton, Wis., attend opening ceremonies at Saturday's Reason Rally on the Mall. The couple came to Washington with their children, Theodore and Katherine. Organizers said the aim of the rally was twofold: to unite individuals with similar beliefs and to show the American public that the number of people who don’t believe in God is large and growing. Tracy A. Woodward/THE WASHINGTON POST