... To quote what Janie quoted, "atheist thought split into two traditions: one primarily concerned with the dispassionate pursuit of truth, the other driven by a visceral contempt for the personal faith of others".

I have no objection to the former attitude. Bill D exemplifies the former. I am very annoyed by the latter attitude...and it is what I refer to as aggressive fundamentalist atheism...as it is based not so much on a desire for truth as a desire to attack other people, discredit them, tear down their beliefs, and dominate them.

It is that same attack and dominate impulse that often poisons discussions on this forum... and it's a function of the warring ego, not of the dispassionate search for truth.

It's the desire to promote one's own identity at the expense of someone else's, for nothing other than gratification of one's urge to "win", to crush, to conquer, and be SEEN by everyone as having won...

Up to that point, I agree.

I think LH is channeling me. :~) That certainly IS the way so many "religion" discussions hereabouts FEEL and SMELL. Thanks for saying it so clearly, LH. (I think you're distilling what you've been saying in long form for years.)

~Susan