Ok SRS, I take your point.

Atheism is two words.

It is literately a stance of a person who rejects theism.

It is colloquially a dismissive term used to label people who don't share a religious person's commitment.

I think the latter is used in the main by people who were brought up rather hard wired as seeing faith at a superstitious level but are somewhat inwardly ashamed of themselves for not being able to apply the logic they use elsewhere to this subject.

Hence the sneering use of the word atheist.

So by extension a militant atheist must be, to them, someone who questions rather than humours them.

You see this with some Muslims where questioning the prophet is such a big thing. The origins of heresy seem to be where people 's intellect started developing and questioning whether we need the extra baggage of superstition to get on in life. The Christians who say "you wouldn't question Islam as openly as you question us" being a case in point. I often wonder if they are decrying violence by others or wishing they could give a similar response, to prevent people questioning their faith.

As their faith is built on the infallibility of their God, I doubt that sticks and stones could break his bones , so we come to the other explanation.

A secret guilt that they are bound up in something ultimately rather silly and are embarrassed to be reminded. Those comfortable with their private faith don't need to convince others.