(July 23, 2014 at 12:03 am)TaraJo Wrote: So that would mean we belong to the second definition of fundamentalism, right? Ask them what "set of basic principles" atheists "stressing strict and literal adherence to." It sure would be interesting to hear a response.
I wouldn't be at all surprised for them to say the principles are naturalism, or some other bollock like that.
What they really mean is that people are vocal about their Atheism. This terrifies them, as they have little confidence that their fellow Christians won't deconvert when hearing an Atheist speak. I've yet to see an Atheist terrified that other Atheists will be turned into Christians (except for little children that can be easily manipulated).
In the UK it is a real social taboo to discuss beliefs, and I'd probably only know someone was a Christian/Atheist from looking at their bookshelf, or perhaps some mention of being at a Church on facebook. I have never talked to a Christian about their beliefs, apart from one time when I was drunk and asked the wife of a friend whether she believed in Hell. She laughed and said No, like that was something only nutcases believed in. She is probably the most hardcore Christian I know ( so about a 1/10 compared to American ones), and happily married to an Atheist.
