Conservative atheists are better than you

[Ben Davis]

It's almost as if she's an atheist version of a poe!

I don't believe in god but I'm not mad at him!

This mirrors a religious argument designed to misrepresent atheists: 'You do believe in him really, you're just angry and in denial!'.

It seems like there's this idea, perpetuated by atheists, that atheists are somehow disenfranchised or left out of the political process.... and I don't find that to be the case.

WTF! When it's illegal for atheists to hold political office in 7 states? When atheists suffer discrimination and social exclusion? Okay, it's not as bad for a lot of atheists as it is for, say, members of the LGBT community but it seems like she's ignorant of or deliberately misrepresenting the challenges faced by atheists in her country on a day-to-day basis.

When in fact atheists have become more vocal over the last decade or so...

Yes. This is in response to the social & political disenfranchisement. An intelligent & informed person would understand this so I have to conclude she's being deliberately obtuse.

In many ways, atheists act like a religious body, unto themselves.

Sound familiar? I don't know how many times I've heard this argument from religious people.

Conservatism is far more intellectually honest and respectful of atheism than liberalism...

Considering that the overwhelming majority of Conservatives in the US are religious, and right-wing, politicised Christianity is directly responsible for much of the disenfranchisment faced by atheists, I find this comment intellectually dishonest. She rebutts herself.

For Conservatives, atheism is something that's tolerated...

Oh, thanks very much...

...respected; we appreciate an intellectual diversity.

That's something that Conservatives are famously not appreciative of.

Most atheist Conservatives, including myself, have a healthy respect for the role of religion in society and in this country, in particular.

While that may be true (after all, political views & religious beliefs aren't mutually exclusive), anyone who has a 'healthy respect' for the way that the religious right have influenced politics in the US doeasn't have a 'healthy respect' for a large proportion of their fellow citizens, who are under daily attack by the right-wing (e.g. the 'wars' on universal healthcare, better education, living wages etc.).

And in contrast, on the left, it seems as though there's this knee-jerk embrace of what is more like a militant hostility, a reaction against intellectual diversity. It's exclusionary.

Holy shit. If she really thinks this, she doesn't have a clue what she's talking about; the political left is famous for its position on inclusivity. I think she's deliberately lying in order to undermine the politics held by a large proportion of atheists.

Bill Maher thinks that 95% of the world has a neurological disorder...

Yes, 'cause we all base our actions on what a comedian thinks. FFS. An obvious piece of quote-mining, clearly out of context.

Our atheists are better then yours!

Now who's being exclusionary?!

My conclusion: she's possibly a religious shill and definitely a liar. Her views should be exposed & opposed at every opportunity.