this post was submitted on 19 Jul 2023
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Also an atheist. I applaud a well-rounded description of this new community! It also doesn't particularly include atheism which is maybe fine.
Sounds like overcompensation? Some people who gravitate towards, let's say atheism, come from another bad experience and need a safe place to talk about that. Some need that answer to the meaning of life, etc. And some don't
Since this doesn't necessarily include atheists -- How about a philosophy community? Or is it better to have more specific communities?
Anti religious is definitely not atheists. Entirely different but of course too many make it the same thing. I personally am not religous but am spiritual. Not atheist but not a 'beliver' as some would consider, it's not black and white. While I don't believe an actual proclaimed atheist would want to deal with a spirituality group, a difference if opinion without attacks, is welcome in my opinion.
Anti religious was(is?) pretty fundamental to the "New Atheist movement" from the latter aughts and early teens from this century. They don't represent atheism as a whole but a decade ago they were highly visible and did a lot to screw up the connotation of the word "atheism." I think it's possible to argue in good faith that religion is ultimately a net harm (which I wouldn't), but there is also a bigoted and ignorant way to do that which was far more common. While the "a" in atheism means "without," there used to be quite a significant presence of those who manifested the belief that it meant "against." I'm sure they're still around, but they don't seem to be as constant an annoyance as they used to be and many of their figureheads moved on to support right-wing politics targeting the religions they hate the most.
Your point is important. I was once part of that movement. There is a crucial piece missing:
In the US atheism has come to specifically challenge the assumed Christian majority that influences US society in subtle ways. For instance, Christmas, or the fact that we have “under God” on US currency. It wasn’t anti-religious as much as anti-Christian, and contextually that point of view is warranted.
Since that movement, I’ve noticed that theologists have labeled atheists as “strong” and “weak” in (my interpretation) an attempt to discredit “agnostic atheists”.
I think there will always be a “war” between mindsets so long as humanity survives. The important part is allowing diverse religious or non-religious backgrounds which means one religion can’t be imposing values onto everyone else.