People are scrambling about for an identity and grouping in this post-modern age of ours, it's the huamn condition to do so. Atheism offers one as much as theism. Of course, there are a lot of atheists (and Christians) who don't consider their belief or lack thereof in God to be an essential part of their identity, but you don't generally find them on sites like this.
Sadly, it is also a part of identity and social grouping to define yourself against something, hence to mutual fear and antagonism between religious folks and atheist folks. (At least on the interwebs...
)
I'd also like to point out the extreme irony of the term "freethinker" becoming ossified though the importance of it to mant people as a label for group identity into a merely a term for someone who doesn't believe in God and adheres to a rather reductionist and out of date form of logical positivism rather than someone who actually keeps a open mind.
*puts on flame retardent suit*
Sadly, it is also a part of identity and social grouping to define yourself against something, hence to mutual fear and antagonism between religious folks and atheist folks. (At least on the interwebs...
)I'd also like to point out the extreme irony of the term "freethinker" becoming ossified though the importance of it to mant people as a label for group identity into a merely a term for someone who doesn't believe in God and adheres to a rather reductionist and out of date form of logical positivism rather than someone who actually keeps a open mind.
*puts on flame retardent suit*
