Oh it's normal for religions to say all the other religions are
wrong or bad or should go away. This is one of the key markers
that MAKES the new atheist movement behaving the same as
religions often do. "Only [x] is right" Insert [x]. I never had
an issue with atheism-as-a-personal-choice. I still have no
problem with atheism-as-a-personal-choice. It's when people
acting in its name - or speaking-for-others [they may say "I
speak only for myself" - but when thousands agree, they're not.
They're just not. Things are much different when you have an
agreeable audience] - and issuing rallying cries to
those-who-happen-to-agree-with-them that it becomes socially
dangerous. Socially dangerous. All [x] are bad. All [x] must be
wiped out. vs: Some [x] are bad. Some [x] must be wiped out.
It's the absolutism and fervor that I see online that's been a
strange part of this new social movement. You're a part of this
social movement, if not by declaration, by behavior. It has, I'm
sorry to say it bluntly, cultish characteristics. This is why I
talk about it so much. --- I'm a fan of the received western
form of Buddhism. Current Dalai Lama is a fantastic public
speaker and he knows how to do it right. I'm a fan. --- You say
it's not a group, yet you speak for all. "Atheists do this"
"Atheists don't do that" Think about it. I'm Agnostic. Do I
speak for all agnostics? No. There's no group, not that I'm
aware of. -- Here's a hypothetical,* : If I saw you were a part
of a cult, how would I retrieve you from it? Could I? --- If you
believe it's inconceivable that you ever could be in one, then I
couldn't. -- Yes. The "there is no doctrine" - That's part of
the fundamentalism. On a FUNDAMENTAL level, 'back to basics',
atheism has just what you're saying. But there's more than just
fundamentals going on. Look at us. We're arguing over it right
now. Why? -- From whence comes the passion? The attachment? The
need? --
