People I’ve known who are atheists, and who are very closed-minded about it, have tended to be much more active. Out of all the religious missonaries and recruiters I’ve been approached by, especially in recent years, the majority have been atheists, and they have tended to be more rude, more intrusive, and more personally demeaning than any other group on the whole–and that tally includes the time I got invited to a “movie night” that turned out to be a recruitment session for Xenos Christian Fellowship in disguise.

(Error analysis: I was a student at Emerson College within the past 5 years, which may be affecting my count)

I tend to surround myself more with atheists and spiritual people than religious folks, so from my POV, I see it a lot more coming from atheists (particularly as compared to spiritual people, who are/can be different from religious people). Folks who follow alternate spiritualities are, in my experience, less likely to say nasty things about atheists. Like me, they share the philosophy of my soul, my business, your soul (or whatever), your business. Now, I see a fair amount of nastiness from them about religious folks, particularly Christians, and that anger comes from, I think, a similar place as atheist anger about Christianity. And there’s plenty to be angry about.

But as far as what “group” I’m in, I’m not religious at all. So I don’t have that particular privilege. Though others have argued that, because I am not atheist, I automatically get believer’s privilege. I’m willing to be persuaded otherwise, but I don’t think that’s true. People who follow spiritual paths that aren’t respected by (and are sometimes condemned by) the dominant religion in the culture are just as likely to be on the receiving end of prejudice as atheists. Christians don’t respect me any more than they respect you.

I don’t think you’re amoral at all. My particular feeling about any atheist is that I don’t care if you believe god/a god/some gods exist or not as it doesn’t have any bearing on my life. I don’t follow a philosophy that condemns people who don’t believe what I believe. Actions are what I’m more concerned about.

And I cannot stress enough that I did not express any condemnation of atheists’ personal beliefs.

I’m also harder on atheists and spiritual people about this issue because, frankly, I feel that since we and you are an oppressed group and know what it feels like to have slurs hurled at us for stupid reasons, that this behavior should not be mirrored. There’s a difference between being critical of religion and religious people because of the bad things that come out of organized religion (which I am) and just being nasty. Just as I get angry when black people are anti-gay because I feel like, 1 – they should know better and 2 – haven’t we learned anything from people being racist at us? Like, that it’s bad?