[Glowbot]

We can only stop them if they actually do something wrong or hurtful. I think by definition an atheist wouldnt be up for that as they are largely humanist.
The idea of a militant atheist is just a phantom that the religious assume is going to take away their superior rights they dont really deserve anyway... Ie the right to persecute others and not do their job properly.

[Richard46]

Originally Posted by flobadob

,,,. If they just ignored religion, it would go away eventually.,,

May I suggest you have a look at the evidence for the current rise in the number of Faith schools in this country?

http://www.humanism.org.uk/news/view/837

Religion is not going to just go away. Indeed as individuals cease to be religious it appears that religions seek even more institutional power to compensate for their lack of spiritual influence.

[KarlSomething]

Originally Posted by MrsWatermelon

I don't know about the OP, but I would like to see certain types of atheist stop deriding and insulting anybody who believes in a god. It really makes me angry and I'm not even religious.

So, does it make you angry that I call God imaginary? Or maybe that I call God of the Bible the most evil entity we've ever described?

I generally direct my words at the beliefs and their contents themselves, and not individual persons. It's not really about the one-to-one conversation for me anyway, that's not why I participate on public forums.

Originally Posted by flobadob

I want them to stop making arses of themselves. Atheists don't need manifestos, or organisations, or leaders, or alternative ceremonies.
The majority of people in Britain are atheists not because they have been convinced by the arguments of atheist writers, but because religion has simply lost its place in the modern world. It's not something they need to think about.
And I want them to stop being so rude.

Religion has lost its place because it's being replaced by knowledge that we can see real world results from applying. The beliefs are being challenged. And that's what it seems to me that the OP is unhappy about.

Of course I would be fine with people having their beliefs to themselves, if they actually kept them to themselves.

[flobadob]

Originally Posted by KarlSomething

With every major religion working hard at recruiting people, attacking education and facts, even working towards turning their countries into theocracies, if they're not already so?

Yes. Obviously the state and religion should be separated, but at the end of the day religion is trying to hold back the tide of reason, and it will not succeed.
The third world is a different proposition. They aren't as clever as us.

[Pretinama]

Originally Posted by coolfighter1993

I'm not religious, I'm an Agnostic. I don't know if there's a God.

But Militant Atheists are just as bad as the religious groups they fight.

Forcing their ideals on everyone just like some religious people.

Can it be banned?

I think the phrase "militant atheist" seems to be magiced up my the religious. You cannot be militant about something you don't believe in, I would say. I don't know any non-religious person who has tried to force their lack of religious belief on someone.

[alan29]

Please don't stop them. They are HUGELY entertaining.

[Richard46]

Originally Posted by Pretinama

I think the phrase "militant atheist" seems to be magiced up my the religious. You cannot be militant about something you don't believe in, I would say. I don't know any non-religious person who has tried to force their lack of religious belief on someone.

Those militant atheists know no limits. What with their demands for an atheist head of state and and atheists seats in the house of Lords and atheist schools and atheist hospital chaplains and atheist tax exemptions and atheist exemptions from animal slaughter regulations etc.

Actually hang on they have not demanded any of those things have they?

[Stiffy78]

Originally Posted by Richard46

Those militant atheists know no limits. What with their demands for an atheist head of state and and atheists seats in the house of Lords and atheist schools and atheist hospital chaplains and atheist tax exemptions and atheist exemptions from animal slaughter regulations etc.

Actually hang on they have not demanded any of those things have they?

Even if there were atheists demanding such things it'd still be a push to call them 'militant'! No believer is classed as militant just for supporting such privileges for religious organisations after all.

[2+2=5]

You can't win against militant atheists.

They will win in the end. Sadly.

[flobadob]

Originally Posted by Richard46

Those militant atheists know no limits. What with their demands for an atheist head of state and and atheists seats in the house of Lords and atheist schools and atheist hospital chaplains and atheist tax exemptions and atheist exemptions from animal slaughter regulations etc.

Actually hang on they have not demanded any of those things have they?

They want to take over Thought for the Day!

Actually, I would love to hear an atheist Thought for the Day. It should be five minutes of total silence.

[Sofajudge]

I find them as irritating as religious zealots. Any individual who refuses to discuss and totally rubbishes another persons belief system, either way, is boorish.

[2+2=5]

Originally Posted by Sofajudge

I find them as irritating as religious zealots. Any individual who refuses to discuss and totally rubbishes another persons belief system, either way, is boorish.

The trouble is, I wonder how many care if people compare them to their religious counterparts. They probably have as poor a view of their critics as they do religious people.

[Toby_Jugg]

The blind belief in something that cannot (currently) be proven one way or another, whichever side of the fence you sit, without even listening to debate and totally discounting the opinions of everybody else is just ridiculous.

I defend everybody's right to believe what they like ... as much as I defend people's rights to question them.

[KJ44]

Originally Posted by flobadob

Actually, I would love to hear an atheist Thought for the Day. It should be five minutes of total silence.

300 seconds better then.

[Chester666666]

Originally Posted by flobadob

They want to take over Thought for the Day!

Actually, I would love to hear an atheist Thought for the Day. It should be five minutes of total silence.

Why?
Atheists have beliefs - there's no god belief

[Sofajudge]

Originally Posted by 2+2=5

The trouble is, I wonder how many care if people compare them to their religious counterparts. They probably have as poor a view of their critics as they do religious people.

I doubt they care a jot. To them they are right, everyone else is wrong. Just like the zealots.

Both are arrogant with their views.

[Thomas007]

I'm an atheist and find some of them pretty annoying too.

I largely try to avoid the religious debates, I've been involved in one so far, but its rare.

Let people believe what they want to believe as far as I am concerned.

[jackthom]

Originally Posted by flobadob

They want to take over Thought for the Day!

Actually, I would love to hear an atheist Thought for the Day. It should be five minutes of total silence.

It pretty much already is in our household, provided I get to the radio quickly enough.

[Chester666666]

Originally Posted by Thomas007

I'm an atheist and find some of them pretty annoying too.

I largely try to avoid the religious debates, I've been involved in one so far, but its rare.

Let people believe what they want to believe as far as I am concerned.

As long as it doesn't harm or affect others

[Richard46]

Originally Posted by flobadob

They want to take over Thought for the Day!

Actually, I would love to hear an atheist Thought for the Day. It should be five minutes of total silence.

Really? personally I am all for keeping Thought for the day religious. A regular dose of Anne Atkins does more for atheism than I could ever do.

[SULLA]

Originally Posted by coolfighter1993

I'm not religious, I'm an Agnostic. I don't know if there's a God.

That's correct

But Militant Atheists are just as bad as the religious groups they fight.

I would not describe most religious groups as bad

Forcing their ideals on everyone just like some religious people.

DO you really believed that this ' forcing' goes on

Originally Posted by Chester666666

atheism can never be a religion or described as militant

I agree with your first statement

[Stiffy78]

Originally Posted by SULLA

I agree with your first statement

What requirements must be met in your opinion for something, e.g. atheism, to be labelled 'militant'?

[SULLA]

Originally Posted by Stiffy78

What requirements must be met in your opinion for something, e.g. atheism, to be labelled 'militant'?

Action.

[cherrytreeabc]

Originally Posted by Lyricalis

If there was a rise in atheist attacks on religious people, then those blathering on about 'militant atheism' might have a case, but the harshest actions I've seen by these supposedly aggressive atheists are a few barbed words and some impatience.

Hardly in the same league as the September 11 attacks or the numerous inquisitions of the Catholic Church.

it's a bit naive believe that all the people that use religion for their own purpose (that don't have anything to do with the religion) are real religious people. they are just clever

[Hogzilla]

Originally Posted by coolfighter1993

I'm not religious, I'm an Agnostic. I don't know if there's a God.

But Militant Atheists are just as bad as the religious groups they fight.

Forcing their ideals on everyone just like some religious people.

Can it be banned?

God should smite the blighters. He's good at that.