Rant against anti-atheist agnostics.

[IanHulett]

Don't get me wrong, I'm agnostic too. Very much so in fact.

But 'militant' agnostics, like a certain new member whose user name cuts a little close to home, tick me off. Please tell me what it is you think you know about what these god-things are that makes you argue so vociferously against non-belief in them.

I get agnosticism. I don't get anti-atheism. What is that about? Personally I have no more trouble with agnostic theists than I do agnostic atheists. These are my peoples.

Anti-atheist agnostics, like their brethren atheist anti-theists, carry around huge axes to grind. Both talk proudly of reasoned argument and evidence. But both are obviously more animated by emotional bile than any reason they actually own up to. Both are obviously working through issues which cloud their judgment.

[/vent]

I actually made a post about anti-theism, but after reading about it quite a bit, I can say that all anti-theism is, is an opposition to religion for reasons such as being harmful. Being anti-theist doesn't automatically mean militant, or that you're judgement is clouded by your emotions. As an anti-theist myself, I do admit I have a tendency to be aggressive, but I've managed to work on that, and I'm more gentle about my opposition to religion now. I'm still an anti-theist, but I'm not aggressive unless someone loses a life or his/her life is threatened by religion, or if a person/group of people's rights are being infringed by religion(though I'm still working on this one). I'll admit that there are some anti-theists who belittle those for believing in God, but I don't go around calling people stupid and all that. I may say they follow a cult, or that what they BELIEVE is flawed, but I don't resort to ad hominems. Yeah, when I first became an atheist/anti-theist, sure. I may have let a few slip, however I've managed to get passed that, and insults are becoming less and less part of my arguments.

But to establish my comfort with my treatment towards religion, I have no problem mocking religion. It's not "sacred" or beyond criticism to me and if people are going to get offended that I point out flaws in their beliefs or make fun of religion altogether, then let them. I can't avoid offending everybody. Someone somewhere is going to get offended by something I say. No point in trying to prevent it, since that would just be a waste of time, and time is short.

As for anti-atheism, I have no opinion on that because I don't know what these "anti-atheists" are thinking.