Comment by Mario Rodgers on May 16, 2010 at 11:03pm

Seems to me the most dangerous ideology is to actually HAVE a religion. Not lack one.

Comment by Kelly on May 16, 2010 at 11:49pm

I think it takes all kinds. Good cop/bad cop style. I do think that many people are annoyed and off-put by militant atheism and are more responsive to someone explaining their views without it being in the form of a debate and if the person's religious view is unknown or ambiguous. I also think that well-informed criticism is not only important or effective, but necessary. If people want to submit their religious views or ideas influenced by their religion into the public and political realm, then they should expect and be open to criticism. We have the right to do so and, the way things are in our society, an obligation to do so. No matter how it's done, it's important for atheists, agnostics, skeptics, secularists, etc to come out of the closet and represent the 20% of the US population that we are.

Comment by Bruce Williams on May 16, 2010 at 11:50pm

He brings up a lot of points that are not necessarily good about having the label, but then dropping the label or won't change the fact that the people of our ilk have bad points.

Why is a label necessary, because you cannot spend your entire life explaining yourself to everybody you meet. Your life would simply be explaining yourself.

If you do not like the label atheist, and do not believe it represents you then don't use it. But I can guarantee that if you start into a 10 minute explanation of your ideals in life with every stranger you meet you'd be totally ignored in the long run. To most of the rest the world you're not quite that important.

Secondly, without some attachment to a group with some types of recognized ideals you are a moving mushy target and everybody knows, no matter what they say you can just say whatever you want to counter them. And most people are not willing to waste their time talking with someone like that.

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