Quote:
Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos
Atheist = non-believer.
Militant Atheist = non-believer who says it out loud.
At least that's the impression I get.
Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris.... these guys are doing nothing more than expressing their opinions. They don't shoot anybody, they don't tear down churches. They write books and speak in public.
They might be obnoxious and saying things people don't want to (and never used to have to) hear, but it's got nothing to do with being militant.
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I actually really like Hitchens and Harris and I get really frustrated when people talk about these three men (or four, if you count Dennett) as if they are part of a triumivirate of ultimate aweseom atheists. These guys are without a doubt incredibly diverse and share almost entirely different beliefs. Harris is an Eastern mystic, for crying out loud!
I categorize militant in liberal terms. That is, someone who is willing to use or take over the institutions of the state for their own use, without the needed democratic component. Now are religious people like that? Of course, probably more so, but you can't deny that this certain faction exists within the "atheist camp."