Also not letting it go: there are differences between radical atheists and Christian fundamentalists

[cpxbrex]

As an atheist, one of the most confusing things about being an atheist is the hostility of people who . . . basically agree with atheism

Comments

[velvetpage]

I hope you don't mind; I figured you'd probably mentioned this discussion in your journal and I wanted to know if you're interested in continuing it with me. If you don't want to, just delete this comment and I won't bother you again

[cpxbrex]

Well, Athelind has called me a militant atheist and I know that my attacks on religion - I'm talking intellectual, here, I don't believe in violence for any purpose other than immediate self-defense - have occasionally frustrated him. So . . . I think it is fair to say he was talking about people like me. Really, who else would be reading his LJ that would be offended by what he said other than me, really? And if he was referring to me, he was referring to these other guys, too, 'cause we're all in the same sort of "religion is dumb" area

I'm just Stalin for time, because I can't Torquemada anything.

[athelind]

The thesis of my original post wasn't limited to American ideologies.

The fair comparison isn't between the Dennetts and the Robertsons, but rather, between the Stalins and the Torquemadas.

Re: I'm just Stalin for time, because I can't Torquemada anything.

[cpxbrex]

So, you think a lot of Stalinists read your LJ? :P

You've more or less said in the past that you consider me to be a militant atheist so now it's sorta lookin' like I'm being lumped together with Stalin . . . whom I hate with a passion to ignite 10,000 suns because of how he is used to stain to ideologies I do have attachment to, socialism (tho' I'm not an actual socialist) and atheism.

And perhaps I was being over-sensitive but when you wrote about how if "someone" took offense to what you wrote they should examine themselves . . . since you have called me a militant atheist, it was kind of hard not to take that as being flame-bait directed at me.

Plus, both Stalin and Torquemada are dead. I don't think there's a living atheist mass murdering tyrant. So even comparing living atheists to living religious people, right now, our worst aren't nearly so bad.

Re: I'm just Stalin for time, because I can't Torquemada anything.

[athelind]

I guess comparing the Sagans and the Martin Luther Kings are out of bounds, too, since they're all dead as well.

Re: I'm just Stalin for time, because I can't Torquemada anything.

[cpxbrex]

I give up. Welcome to the land of being what you despise, so narrow-minded and insensitive that you've nailed the last pin in the coffin of our friendship. I have no use for "friends" who have this kind of contempt for me. Good-bye.