Militant Atheism and militant theism.

Watch the first 35 seconds of this. For those who need the background, Dr. Cox is a generally good but abrasive person, when it comes to religion he is a smug know it all asshole. And this goes out to militant atheists. Why does it wound you so personally that others have belief? Why do you NEED everyone to feel as if there's nothing greater? I understand the feel of being controlled.. I am an "Other" in a primarily Judeo-Christian land that has a laughable "New-Age Wiccan" piece that whines a lot. When there were real attempts by Christians to control the hearts and minds of their fellow man, I notice them and fight them. When faith conspires to control others, you fight those means of control; you DIE to fight those means of control. But you know what? That's where it needs to stop.

If you feel the need to fight the faith itself, rather than to fight it trying to reach past the boundaries that allow other men to be free, the problem is in you and not in the faithful. Their belief does you absolutely no harm until the point where it actually DOES harm you. When it does harm you, you put a stop to that, but you do NOT need to go on and harm others. You think you're smarter than the faithful? Bra-fucking-vo. Guess what? They also think they're smarter than you. You're both free to think that and I don't give a shit until you cross that line and try to force your beliefs on them.

Do you think that Christians are forcing their faith on you? Great. How is demeaning them for their faith any better than them demeaning you for your lack of faith?

Most Christians I've known in my life are able to see when someone is not interested and walk away. I have met 3 atheists in my life who are able to walk away rather than whining some martyr bullshit about how anyone who does anything for reasons of faith are somehow lesser human beings than those who do good for reasons not of faith. And I say to them? Fuck you. Anyone who is so insecure that they can't walk away and just let others believe are subhuman scum. The per-capita balance of assholes who just can't let it go in the US and Canada seems to be a lot higher for the atheists than it is for the Christians. I survive in an interfaith marriage because my wife and I tolerate the beliefs of one another.

Militant atheists are simply children compared to the likes of us; and children need to be taught right from wrong. If you get the feeling that I am saying my wife and I are better than you, the super-fundamentalist Christian or the militant Atheist? Good. You're capable of reading comprehension at at least a 10th grade level. I absolutely am saying that we are better people than you.

You know what else I am saying? We are no better than anyone else can be. All it takes is learning to truly tolerate. It's not easy. A Journeyman Carpenter is a lot better at carpentry than a beginner, and persons who survive an interfaith marriage are a lot better at religion than an angry atheist or a bible-thumper who chooses to believe in their bible rather than honestly talk to their God. We're not jealous of it; there is no limited supply to love. We want everyone to learn tolerance. We are better than you; and you need to get over your hatred of it. There's a difference between arrogance and honest self-assessment. We're no better than anyone else can be.

Join us. Learn that tolerance means little more than this "I don't give a crap WHY you are good, only that you are. I don't have to love why you are good, but I'd be as wrong to hate why you're good as you would be to hate why I am good."