Jeff Sparrow on the need to save ourselves from the sickishness of the New Atheists

[Cephus]

Here's the difference they don't like:

Yeah, but that isn't the reality. The ones being called New Atheists are often missionaries. And I for one don't care for missionaries, regardless if they're spewing shit in favor of religion or for any other cause.

Simplistic, far removed from reality and ultimately not what this is about. Show me one atheist staying quiet when challenged. The difference being if you're riding Rosinante into the ban all religions challenge and want to force atheism down everyone's throat without consent. It also presents the false image of an organised community. I for one have nothing in common with many atheists, aside from not believing.

There are lots of atheists who stay silent when challenged, many more who are still in the "closet" because they could suffer job, family or social harm if it was known that they don't believe in the dominant social delusions.  But nobody should stay silent, they should confront stupidity of all kinds whenever they come up, whether it is religious or not.  Are the people who are telling the anti-vaccers that they are idiots, are those evangelists too?  How about the people who speak about against faith healing?  Or the ones who denounce racism and other social ills?  Are they all missionaries?  Or are they concerned citizens who see a problem and speak out against it?

Like it or not, religion is a massive social problem.  It might be a ridiculously wide-spread problem, but that doesn't make it less important.  It promotes delusion, it promotes ignorance, it promotes hatred and it needs to be stopped.  It kills millions with its ignorant teachings and ignorant beliefs.  Delusion is not healthy, no matter how happy it might make the delusional.

In solving problems, you're either part of the solution or part of the problem.  It seems you want to be part of the problem.  That's your choice.