Atheists turning to cult behaviour?

[robvalue]

Well... yes, if someone is saying they don't care that someone else is behaving badly, then that is sad.

I don't think I've ever heard anyone use the excuses you cite though, except against ridiculous theist accusations. So I haven't experienced the problem you describe. Sure, some people don't give a fuck about anyone else, and some of them are atheists. But I've not heard anyone hold up atheism as part of their "defence".

The only way it becomes an issue is when religious people say things like, "You atheists caused Hitler! You atheists have no morals! You atheists..."

The response to this is that they are attacking a strawman. Religious people need educating on what the fuck atheism is.

If someone is accusing me of being part of "a group" that is responsible for something, then I am quite within my rights to say I am not part of that group. I will happily get on board and address the bad behaviour in question, but I'm not going to take responsibility personally. How could that work?

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Just out of interest SFE, are you not identifying as an atheist? I see you have irrelegious down, and people on the forum have all sorts of weird stuff in their description.

But even if you don't call yourself an atheist, you are one, if you don't believe god claims. It's just the definition.

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Personally, I choose to put the word atheist forward specifically just to help the overall movement. The more people there are openly calling themselves the same thing, the easier it gets to become one more of them.

Of course, I'm not trying to suggest I look badly on another atheist who chooses to not immediately identify as such. There's no such atheist dogma But from the point of view of a religious guy who is on the fence of jumping ship, seeing lots and lots of "atheists" is more reassuring than hundreds of different definitions and ways of saying the same thing, but which may not be obvious as such. If you see what I mean

Just like the gay movement. I'd call myself gay, rather than different, specially-sexualled, curious.... I don't know, I'm making these words up. But I hope you get my point