At the risk of banging my own drum, I find it a bit disingeuous of religionists to single out atheists for disrespect. Yes, some atheists are disrespectful of the viewpoints of believers (e.g., Richard Dawkins, Yours Truly).
As a movement or institutionally, atheism has never advocated punishing or killing people for their beliefs. Atheists don't ostracize believers from the community. Atheists haven't tortured anyone into giving up their beliefs. Atheists don't throw petrol bombs at religonists. Atheists don't establish rules to keep believers from holding public office. It isn't atheists who are bombing churches and abortion clinics. It isn't atheists who are killing Muslims in Burma, or killing Christians in Egypt or killing Jews in France.
Yes, some of the more militant atheists openly sneer are the beliefs of believers. Yes, there is disrespect. But you'd have to walk a long, LONG road to find among atheists the kind of ossified disrespect you find among the faithful.
Boru
As a movement or institutionally, atheism has never advocated punishing or killing people for their beliefs. Atheists don't ostracize believers from the community. Atheists haven't tortured anyone into giving up their beliefs. Atheists don't throw petrol bombs at religonists. Atheists don't establish rules to keep believers from holding public office. It isn't atheists who are bombing churches and abortion clinics. It isn't atheists who are killing Muslims in Burma, or killing Christians in Egypt or killing Jews in France.
Yes, some of the more militant atheists openly sneer are the beliefs of believers. Yes, there is disrespect. But you'd have to walk a long, LONG road to find among atheists the kind of ossified disrespect you find among the faithful.
Boru
‘I can’t be having with this.’ - Esmeralda Weatherwax
