Petitioning the government to enforce one’s own beliefs, as Dawkins did, is a form of militarism. Presumably the government could resort to the force of arms to enforce its bans. Parents who had their children circumcised, baptized, confirmed, bar or bat-mitzvah’d, would be prosecuted as criminals; presumably children could be removed from such homes and made wards of the state.

When one attaches one’s identity to a particular ideology or set of concretized symbols (such that one is no longer growing through the ideas but stagnating in them), then someone else challenging those ideas is challenging one’s very identity and existence. Not surprisingly, the result is to stimulate irrational fear, which takes the form of militarism and hatred. As that process occurs, it’s very easy to forget that there are humans like me behind the ideas, trying to make sense of this wonderful being as best they can, trying to provide food and comfort for themselves and their families and trying to assuage the relentless hysteria of social power, sex and death. When we stop seeing that humanity and look out on those we perceive as different without trying to really understand their perspective, we’ve pretty much missed the point of whatever guiding world views to which we variously ascribe. Is there anything “wrong” with that? No. People have lived in fear of others since the first self-conscious human beings awakened on Earth and they will continue to do so. Whatever contextual “world view” one personally prefers though, each of us can break the cycle of fear and violence in our own dealings with others by becoming aware to the role that perspective plays in determining the “truth” one or another perceives.

http://agnosticatheism.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/a-christians-concern-with-atheism/

**Even though I spoke lightheartedly, it took the air out of the balloon of happy talk and self-congratulation at the table. I’m sure some people didn’t think too kindly of me, despite the fact that I was civil, and sweet, and very calm.** I think part of why you would also speak out is — if your experience is anything like mine — often when a fundamentalist/evangelical speaks to me about the Bible, there is a tone of superiority. As in, they are totally right, and anyone who disagrees is stupid, or hasn’t read the BIble or what-not. So that’s part of why I politely speak. Because I don’t fall into any of those categories, and it is possible to be incredibly intelligent and hold a different view from a fundamentalist. It’s more of the attitude I would be responding to.

The problem is that – for most of our lifetimes – someone daring to question religious belief was branded as extremely impolite! Religion was one of those ‘personal’ things not to be questioned, period.

So, if you were at a dinner party (as I was recently) and someone at the table launched into a long story about god’s providence, and answered prayer, and how “there are no coincidences” and “It’s all part of god’s plan” – the POLITE thing to do is to nod and smile and remember what Mother taught you: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

Even if you could see enough logical holes in the story to compare it to a brick of Swiss cheese!

In my case, instead of keeping the grin frozen on my face while everybody else at the table agreed with the storyteller, I became a “militant” atheist. What did I do? No, I didn’t call anyone names, or yell, or storm out.

I just gently questioned the story and pointed out some alternative explanations for why certain things might have happened. It was very easy to do – I wasn’t dissecting anything difficult, just pointing out how preconceived notions might have affected how she viewed the circumstances of the story.

That, according to a lot of people, is not very POLITE. Even though I spoke lightheartedly, it took the air out of the balloon of happy talk and self-congratulation at the table. I’m sure some people didn’t think too kindly of me, despite the fact that I was civil, and sweet, and very calm.

That – I think – is what Dawkins and others are talking about when they say atheists need to speak up, not mutely sit and agree-by-default with all the talk of theism that surrounds us constantly. If that’s “militant” and “impolite” – so be it.

Unless some of us start to question the religious mindset, instead of always shutting up and going along, people don’t get the idea that maybe their beliefs can and should be re-examined once in a while.

If, however, you mean atheists who speak out about being atheists, then this is no different than theists who speak out about being theists.

Great post. I am one of those vacillating on the “fence” of agnosticism/atheism. I didn’t grow up with religion but I took to it pretty hard to begin with. Now it’s like trying to shed skin; it hurts like hell and I don’t have my new skin yet!

MOI (and others here who are interested) you might be interested in a Yahoo group I help moderate for people leaving fundamentalist religion. Most of us are former Christians, but we have also had some former Orthodox Jews in the group.

The idea is to be a sounding board and support group for each other, particularly those who live in tight-knit religious communities and are afraid to tell their family and friends that they are having doubts about fundamentalism. We discuss a lot of practical issues like “coming out” about one’s doubts or disbelief, how to handle holidays, proselytizing, etc.

I’d say about half of us wind up atheists and the other half are now liberal Christians, pagans, Wiccans, Unitarians or generic theists. We have our quarrels (mostly over politics!) but generally there’s a lot of warmth and encouragement offered.

Anyone who’d like to check it out can subscribe here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/exit-fundyism. We control membership because we are sometimes targeted by evangelists who want to preach hellfire at us, and life is difficult enough as it is!

That seems like two separate things: 1) being open about your atheism, and 2) being impolite to religious people. Is it necessary to be both? Couldn’t you be open about your atheism without being rude towards others? (Or by the same token, if I’m open about my Christianity, does that mean I should also be rude towards non-Christians?) It doesn’t seem to me that #1 necessarily requires #2.