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Originally Posted by Calgaryborn

Yes I'm generalizing but, I really haven't been given or seen any other preoccupation within the atheist religion. If they have any higher purpose in forming their organizations I've missed it.

Well atheism isn't an organization, so you can't really attribute any kind of attributes to it.

I do see atheism as a religion of intolerance.

How is saying "There's no evidence that there is a God" or "I think the evidence shows there's no God" intolerant. That you keep calling it a religion doesn't make it so. What guiding tenant of atheism makes it intolerant?

As for Christianity there is certainly intolerance within it's large canopy but, there is also areas where there is none.

You've just described every group of people on the planet. As for atheism there is certainly intolerance within it's large group of diverse people who happen to not believe the same thing, there is also areas where there is none. As for Islam.. As for hair stylists... Every group has it's variety.

I've met far more intolerant Christians than I have met intolerant atheists, that's for sure.

Not to mention that religious intolerance defined by Christianity.. before Christianity, most everyone believed in many gods, and which ones you worshiped depended on where you lived and such, but it wasn't much of a big deal. Christianity established intolerance as they pretty much founded the idea that a religion was about what you believed, not what you did (ritual sacrifice, traditions, etc, kind of stuff found in the OT). And if you didn't believe correctly, you were excluded. That was new to religion at the time, Christianity was the one that introduced it.

Sorry, got sidetracked a bit there.

There have been a post or two on this very thread by people holding Christian beliefs who wouldn't even go as far as to speculate on the eternal destination of one who lives and dies outside of the Christian faith.

But some would, whereas no atheist will speculate on the eternal destination because to them it doesn't matter. How does that make an atheist intolerant?

I think that the Bible presents a very narrow path to salvation: Faith without works. Within all the sects that identify themselves as Christian very few embrace this teaching.

Very similar to what I've been taught all my life; salvation is a gift, it can't be earned only accepted.

However that doesn't have anything to do with atheism being intolerant.

But my brand of intolerance would never harm those who hold different beliefs.

How can a lack of belief harm those who hold a belief? It's not like atheists are saying all faith should be outlawed.

My pointing out the obvious intolerance(obvious to me)

Maybe to you but not to anyone else.

The point is this is a small minority and doesn't represent the general aims or accomplishments of Christianity. Conversely, intolerance appears to a very good adjective to describe atheist sects aims and accomplishments.

So you speak for all Christianity now?

You've hand waved and made all kinds of outrageous claims about how the percentage of Christians who have motives other than your own are very low, but that almost all atheists can be characterized by intolerance.. now you have to back those up.

The basic tenants that all atheists adhere to and how those are intolerant should be a good start.