Why We are Mad At You by an Atheist

[jeff47]

75. It's a nice theory, but where are they? Also, atheists aren't looking to wipe out religion.

I'd like to think that liberal religious people would be allies. But polling really doesn't bear that out. Majorities of liberal religious people would vote against an "out" atheist presidential candidate, simply because he was an atheist.

I suppose I can take some comfort that the number has gone down from ~75% "no" in the 60s to ~50% "no" today. But it's difficult to do so when "Muslim", the right's religious boogeymen-du-jour do way better in the same polls. If one assumes the conservative religious people mostly buy in to "Muslim as boogeymen", the difference between Muslims and Atheists in those polls would come entirely from liberal religious people.

While religions turning more liberal may result in better acceptance of atheists, it is extremely premature to call them "allies". Allies try to help you. In my experience, liberal religious people tolerate atheists, accept their right to exist, but don't do much to help. They usually tell us to just ignore the school prayers or other forced religion around us. "It's not that bad" seems to be their motto.

Also, I have to take a strong objection to your 2nd-to-last paragraph. Atheists aren't looking to wipe out religion. While there's some extremists advocating that, we can't ascribe that to all atheists any more than we can claim all religious people follow James Dobson.

We're looking for "God" to not be forced upon us by our government. We're looking to be considered less "evil" than every religion. Believe what you want, but don't force me to, and help when others try to force me to.