Michael Brendan Dougherty, writing in The American Conservative, Pat Buchanan's fortnightly journal of opinion, looks into secular "fundamentalists". Interesting take on the topic. Intolerance cuts both ways.

OswaldTheOsprey

http://www.amconmag.com/2007/2007_11_05/print/articleprint.html

Yeah I didn't see much intolerance either - except those of the writer for an opposing viewpoint.

These so-called 'secular fundamentalists' seem much more benign than there religious cousins. Of course atheism attracts it's share of idiot - those who sway the Bible for the God Delusion. Those who hate religion. Some who are overly zealous because they are newly converted.

All atheists are not like that: I'm not like that (I even listen to some Christian rock). But I'd be pretty excited to meet Hitchens or Dawkins (esp. Dawkins). I'd love to argue with them over their work. I'd tell Hitchens that his book doesn't adequately defeat the metaphysical claims of religion and is often rather lose with the facts and I'd tell Dawkins that his Boeing 747 Gambit makes no logical sense.

There are some atheists who can't think for themselves and need a Dawkins, a Hitchens or a Dennett to tell them what to think. I'd like to think most don't.

Michael Brendan Dougherty... would like so much atheism to be just another religion that in that article he wants to make you believe that atheism is just another religion and then he attacks atheism as he attacks any other religion but the one he believes in. Too bad for him that atheism is not a religion or cult. 

I agree that 'secular fundamentalists' do exist.

But they are apparently quite few in number. 

The strategy here appears to be to argue that 'secular fundamentalists' do exist, and that 'secular fundamentalists' are just as bad as 'religious fundamentalists'.  Then they will just assign the label of 'secular fundamentalist' to all atheists and claim that 'atheism' is just another religion.

The theists will never give up in their attacks on atheism.

In my opinion, most 'real' atheists just don't care about religion enough to bother hating it.

   

I've got to agree with Dormouse there.

And truth be told, I doubt that he actually hates Christians. I always got the impression he just wanted something, anything, to complain about.

Yup, typical attention-seeking troll.

For a second, I thought you were linking to the thread where he said I was as bad as Michael Vick for feeding my dog beef.

Kind of a shame though. Every now and then he came up with a really sarcastic post that would make some good points. Entertaining to read. Shame he couldn't be a little more civil.