everyone (else) seems to be hating on atheists

[Creed of Heresy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in...ristianity

Many Nazis promoted positive Christianity a militant, non-denominational form of Christianity which emphasized Christ as an active fighter and anti-semite who opposed the institutionalized Judaism of his day. Even in the later years of the Third Reich, many Protestant and Catholic clergy within Germany persisted in believing that Nazism was in its essence in accordance with Christian precepts.

Oh indeed, Aiza? Do not get me wrong, there were many that opposed him but yes, yes the Catholic Church DID support the nazis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Ch..._Holocaust

This article is filled with BOTH sides of catholicism; the good, and the bad. The good, who resisted, and the bad, who supported.

According to historians David Bankier and Hans Mommsen a thorough knowledge of the Holocaust was well within the reach of the German bishops, if they wanted to find out. According to historian Michael Phayer, "a number of bishops did want to know, and they succeeded very early on in discovering what their government was doing to the Jews in occupied Poland". Wilhelm Berning, for example, knew about the systematic nature of the Holocaust as early as February 1942, only one month after the Wannsee Conference. Most German Church historians believe that the church leaders knew of the Holocaust by the end of 1942, knowing more than any other church leaders outside the Vatican.

However, after the war, some bishops, including Adolf Bertram and Conrad Grober claimed that they had not been aware of the extent and details of the Holocaust, and were unsure of the veracity of the information that was brought to their attention.

Do I say ALL catholics sided with Hitler? No, no I do not. But do I say that the leadership of the church is directly responsible for supporting Hitler throughout his time as dictator? Yes, yes I do.

So. You want an example of the church's stance on atheists in the middle ages?

Ok, if you insist... Let me start with Thomas Aquinas, shall we?

Clearly the person who accepts the Church as an infallible guide will believe whatever the Church teaches.
-- Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

If forgers and malefactors are put to death by the secular power, there is much more reason for excommunicating and even putting to death one convicted of heresy.
-- Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

As regards the individual nature, woman is defective and misbegotten, for the active power of the male seed tends to the production of a perfect likeness in the masculine sex; while the production of a woman comes from defect in the active power.
-- Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

That the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they are permitted to see the punishment of the damned in hell.
-- Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

This man is one of the 33 Doctors of the Church and is therefore one of the "greatest" members of it, apparently. And he pretty much said that killing people who were not believing in Christianity was justified because the "secular powers" [in which he was referring to the non-church-aligned empires and kingdoms of the time, and as I am reading, they are pretty few] would kill "forgers," who were basically people who were counterfeiters, and "malefactors," who were people who were thieves, murderers, anything of that ilk. Basically he equated non-belief with being a counterfeiter or murderer or thief or rapist or just a criminal in general.

http://markhumphrys.com/science.religion.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_...Christians

So yes, while there are not many listings of atheists being specifically targeted, the term heresy is often used to encompass "non-belief," and atheism WOULD fall into that category. Given the existence of atheists in the times of Rome and Greece [yes, as we know them today] up UNTIL the rise of the Church, and again, when we consider that the Church was well-known for killing people who did not adhere to its beliefs, is it really any wonder why we don't hear much about atheists in a time and region where the church was virtually unopposed in its power??

You say "silence implies nonexistence." I say "silence implies fear of speech," and for good reason, as opposed to your view which basically takes a view that somehow there were no atheists in that time period when yet there have been atheists throughout recorded history prior to it. Did atheism just undergo a two millenia-long extinction, conveniently at the same time that one of the most oppressive religions was in power?

---

Really? Atheists perpetuated the vast majority of anti-religious persecutions of recent history. Irreligious are also statistically more aggressive (see studies posted prior), and irreligious youth in particular are more likely to get into fights and carry weaponry. I mean, I don't think this justifies anti-atheist attitudes, but that's a weird "fact" you just gave there.

Quit making bullshit up:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism#Ass..._behaviors

Sociologist Phil Zuckerman analyzed previous social science research on secularity and non-belief, and concluded that societal well-being is positively correlated with irreligion. His findings relating specifically to atheism include:[61][62]

Compared to religious people, "atheists and secular people" are less nationalistic, prejudiced, antisemitic, racist, dogmatic, ethnocentric, close-minded, and authoritarian.
In the US, in states with the highest percentages of atheists, the murder rate is lower than average. In the most religious US states, the murder rate is higher than average.

In the US, states with highest percentages of atheists have lower murder rates and religious states have higher ones.

Gee, it's almost like whatever statistic you made up you pulled right out of your ass Please, if you're going to debate with us, debate with us, but don't make shit up, that's the only thing that genuinely pisses me off about people.