Religious Skeptics Disagree On How Aggressively to Challenge the Devout

October 10, 2010

Author: Mitchell Landsberg

Source: The Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/religion/la-me-humanists-20101010,0,7099867.story

As the largest organization of American atheists, agnostics and other religious skeptics gathered in Los Angeles this weekend, there was a predictable amount of scorn heaped on Christians, Jews and Muslims.

 

Religion was dismissed as "nonsense" and "superstition"; those who believe were described variously as "ignorant" and "stupid."

 

Fellow nonbelievers were not spared, however, as lines were drawn between "new atheists," who encourage open confrontation with the devout, and "accommodationists," who prefer a subtler, more tactical approach.