Hi. I'm a militant atheist. Do you fear me?

[chervilant]

158. Reading the responses to this OP has been interesting.

A struggle for "rightness" seems to have overtaken some of the DUers herein above. I find it astonishing that the etymology of "militant" has subsumed the point of this OP.

The author self-identifies as a militant atheist. He has every right to so identify. He can be militant without ever engaging in violence, since the definition of "militant" does allow for confrontational adjurations that aren't necessarily violent.

For example, I am militant about feminism. I am also a pacifist. My militancy about feminism is expressed through non-violent verbal confrontations whenever I encounter sexism or misogyny--both online and IRL.

The same holds true for me with regards to racism and homophobia (which I would prefer to call "heterosexism," since we LGBT folk are not a group to be feared). Anytime I am faced with racism or homophobia, I address it--which cost me my last job when I asked my self-avowed racist boss to respect my right not to hear his racism in the workplace.

That some DUers associate militancy with violence is understandable. But, such a stance does not preclude the right of the author of this OP to self-identify as a militant atheist.

BTW, I don't "fear" the author of this OP.