Greetings

[pinkocommie]

I meant militant or violent as a figure of speech e.g. I am violently opposed to Carol Ann Duffy, but I probably wouldn’t take up arms against her. Anyway, I have seen atheists describe themselves as militant, so I don’t really see how I caused offence: the equivalent of you calling some Christians fundamental-it is true, we are just going to have to live with it. However, I would say Communism is a pretty big indicator that atheism can become just as violent as Islam or Christianity (communism is really just a politicised form of New Atheism).

I see your point, but I think it's disingenuous to ignore the fact that these labels are usually used by opposing points of view to demonize all atheists into some kind of singular, angry, negative crowd.  The whole 'new atheist' thing, long with the label 'militant atheist' originated as an insult and was meant to diminish atheists.  Some have since 'claimed' these terms the same way any slur is often assimilated into the minority's culture and is reclaimed as a way to empower the group against the ignorance that created the slur in the first place.  

The idea that there is some 'fundamental' form of atheism that some adhere to and therefor a label and distinction is fair doesn't make much sense to me.  If atheism is the lack of belief in god, is fundamentalist atheism the lack in belief in god like whoa?  I don't understand.  It's a mistake to think of people having different levels of atheism because it's still a very singular conclusion that makes one an atheist - there is no god.  Any maybes or even vaguely deistic ideals makes one an agnostic - not an atheist.

[Tom62]

However, I would say Communism is a pretty big indicator that atheism can become just as violent as Islam or Christianity (communism is really just a politicised form of New Atheism).

Jesus threw out the moneys-lenders from the temple and called them thieves. These money-lenders were at time ordinary businessmen. In the NT you can also read many statements from Jesus that he was not a promoter of a laissez-faire economy, like "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." or  "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.". I therefore believe that, If Christians want to follow Jesus' footsteps then they should have nothing against communism.

[Dagda]

Perhaps this is my fault for not making clear my meaning, and so I apologies. I agree that there is no ‘fundamentalist’ atheist, and that to say otherwise is absurd. There are also no atheist philosophies, but there are philosophies which are atheistic. For instance, some sects of Taoism are atheistic, but other than there denial of a deity, they have little in common with New Atheists. Apart from their belief in a deity, Theists have no central thread of thought, but there are theist religions and philosophies. In the same way there is no central thread to atheism, but there are atheistic philosophies and religions. My intention is not to create an atheist bogey man, but to show that there are a variety of different belief systems which happen to have an atheist element. The unfortunately named ‘new’ Atheists are one of these belief systems, and in much the same way as fundamental Christians can put someone off theism for life, so has this group put me off atheism for life. I hope I have created a clearer picture of my meaning.

Tom62, I meant no offence. Communism and New Atheism can find their roots in Christianity-that sense of blind devotion in a glorious End Time are clearly a branch-off from Christian theology. However, Communism’s embrace of science, distain for the past and hatred of religion, as well as the abandonment of St. Augustine’s City of God et. Al. Fail-safe mechanisms means that Communism has grown into a heresy, rather than a fulfilment of Christianity, meaning that the religion can’t quite embrace this particular political religion. However, the Communist mythology fits in with that of the New Atheists, hence my belief that they are essentially different sects of the same religion. Please do not take this as meaning that I think all atheists are a branch of the communist party, or that I am somehow insulting New Atheists-Communists have done some great things in Kerala etc.