Why the tension?
Well for me personally when o first came out as an atheist I was very much in the way you would describe as accomidating. Not a firebrand. I thought we could all coexist without hurting each other. And for the most part this is true. Most xtians I meet (and ALL the Muslims I know) are nice people who are respectful of me and my disagreement. We don't discuss our differences.
HOWEVER:
I no longer have the amicability towards belief I used to. Why? Because I saw the harm dogma can have. I worked in a store and I had a disagreement with another guy there. I didn't question his God, I only stated that I thought his dismissal of evolution was wrong. When he got more into it I told him why, presented him with my reasons.
Guy keyed my car and slashed my tires.
Another woman who knew I was an atheist was a minister who held a part time job at a store I worked at. She filed false reports with my manager and tried her hardest to get me fired. I had to jump through a bunch of hoops to prove the claims false.
Why did these people do this? Because of their adherence to a toxic dogma.
If these beliefs had no bearing on their actions, if no harm came from them I would simply say, "I disagree" and we would move on. And for most people I still do. But if they start acting on or pushing this toxic dogma I will push back against it. And any idea should be open to discussion.
Well for me personally when o first came out as an atheist I was very much in the way you would describe as accomidating. Not a firebrand. I thought we could all coexist without hurting each other. And for the most part this is true. Most xtians I meet (and ALL the Muslims I know) are nice people who are respectful of me and my disagreement. We don't discuss our differences.
HOWEVER:
I no longer have the amicability towards belief I used to. Why? Because I saw the harm dogma can have. I worked in a store and I had a disagreement with another guy there. I didn't question his God, I only stated that I thought his dismissal of evolution was wrong. When he got more into it I told him why, presented him with my reasons.
Guy keyed my car and slashed my tires.
Another woman who knew I was an atheist was a minister who held a part time job at a store I worked at. She filed false reports with my manager and tried her hardest to get me fired. I had to jump through a bunch of hoops to prove the claims false.
Why did these people do this? Because of their adherence to a toxic dogma.
If these beliefs had no bearing on their actions, if no harm came from them I would simply say, "I disagree" and we would move on. And for most people I still do. But if they start acting on or pushing this toxic dogma I will push back against it. And any idea should be open to discussion.
