It's the idea that Dawkins, Hitchens, etc represent a large group of hardcore atheists out to mock everyone who isn't atheist, who have the power to remove religion from the public square, etc. Even American liberals are trying to back away from this militant atheist movement. But no, there is no such thing as an atheist movement. I'm not part of any group. None of my friends, who are generally atheist, are part of any group. The few who've heard of that "bright" thing think it's stupid and counterproductive.
For the atheists I know (i.e., my friends, not my fellow conspirators), the idea of an atheist movement or militant atheism is on a par with the idea of a people who don't watch soap operas movement, or a people who don't have a favourite American college basketball team movement. We don't have a religion, we don't want to have to pretend we do, we don't want to have to say nice things about it. But that does not a movement or a militant make. But an alleged movement is handy for the American Christian right, which needs to present itself as a victim so that people won't notice that it's the bully.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2009-01-22 12:15 am (UTC)For the atheists I know (i.e., my friends, not my fellow conspirators), the idea of an atheist movement or militant atheism is on a par with the idea of a people who don't watch soap operas movement, or a people who don't have a favourite American college basketball team movement. We don't have a religion, we don't want to have to pretend we do, we don't want to have to say nice things about it. But that does not a movement or a militant make. But an alleged movement is handy for the American Christian right, which needs to present itself as a victim so that people won't notice that it's the bully.