
Originally Posted by
sunshinewarrio

Originally Posted by
Selene
Why can't everyone, atheists, theists, agnostics and antagonistics, just all mind their own business and beliefs?
The world would be a much better place for it and there would be much more room for improved discourse and debate, instead of a perpetual circle of conflicting beliefs which go nowhere and achieve nothing except an irritating rash!
1. In general we can't because we are moral animals, and one of the things about morality is that it isn't just personal - it is normative, something you want the entire world to live by, and will fight for.
2. In general I think most atheists would simply like:
a. For religion not to be in a privileged position (compared to atheism of any sort - even the sort that simply ignores the matter)
b. Not to have any aspect of public, and publicly paid for, society being run or dominated by religious thinking - faith schools in the UK, 10 Commandments in courts in the US, Catholic Bishops telling us what science we can do or not do (on the basis of their relationship with god) and so on.... would you rather we were quiet about it?
That's the thing. It's hard to have any belief system that doesn't demand action, and occasionally demand "normative" action, as you say. I'm interpreting that to mean action that must be carried out by all, rather than just a few, in order to work.
Atheism doesn't have any specific beliefs about what a person should or shouldn't do, while religion does. This is probably a concern for atheists who are afraid that they will be forced to go along with other people's demands for belief based, normative, action.
You see, it's religion that has a hard time living and letting live, when it comes to actual actions. Atheism doesn't let live very well in terms of what it says, but in terms of what it asks you to do, it's pretty un-oppressive.
GW claims he "prayed", and all of a sudden he's got this whole band wagon going that you have to either join or be labeled a traitor. It seems like religion is playing an over-interfering role in my life when it enables people like him.