I think beyond just the monolithic establishments, like the Vatican, that the reason many people are vocally intolerant of atheists is because they believe that the Atheists want to or are trying to stop those people from having a religion, or faith at all. That is why it is ''okay'' to be a jerk towards atheists, because they are "inherently jerks themselves". It is like many things a wash and so broad a stereotype that it becomes easy to refute. From my experience Atheists have no beef with anyone who is not trying to push their own religion on others. This is why you'll see a lot more Atheist-Christian flack, as opposed to Atheist-Pagan flack. Aside from the sheer numbers, there are so many Christian organizations and individuals who are wantonly pushing their beliefs onto everyone and this is where many people, not just Atheists, take issue.

You'll see a lot of conflagration between Atheists and other groups that certain sects of conservative Religion dislike, presently though Atheists are up at the top of the list, because they are perceived as the biggest "Threat" by these same organizations and groups. One need not look very hard to find this type of rhetoric.

mountainman:

I know it sounds like I'm being a jerk, but I've been an Atheist for 55 years now and I've never heard of any philosophy behind Atheism. "Atheism" is basically a catchall term so that people can conveniently put all Atheists in one word. As you can see; it's doesn't work very well since there is no "ism" to follow.

Sorry.

All I was trying to say is that it might be true that there is no God or no afterlife.

Maya

Thanks,

I understand what you mean.

Maya

Jun 14, 2009 -- 7:55PM, Serenity1552 wrote:

Feb 22, 2008 -- 9:08AM, omprem wrote:

It is interesting that the topic 'Religious Tolerance' is actually home to a hotbed of atheists who exhibit absolutely no tolerance of anything that they do not understand or endorse. They use the phrase 'religious tolerance' to imply that they have tolerance when in fact they do not. They are rude, mean-spirited, fearful and more than a little desperate. Promoting untruth is a common political tactic: the more times an untruth is told the more likely some people are likely to start believing it.

 

Anyone who says, that they know for sure,  whether or not, there is a God, is religious.

Therefore Atheism is a religion.  They are often no more tolerant, then many religious fundamentalists.

Anyone who is wise, keeps an open mind, about things that cannot be proved

No they are not. Absence of belief or a posistion on a theological concept (in this case in the negative) does not make one religious. Are you making the argument that non-belief in something makes one religious?

Atheism is not a religion, and no matter how many times people try to make it out to be so, does not change the fact it is not.