If anything can be garnered from the fallout, it's that many who commented seem to have succeeded in demonstrating my point. You see, the very thing I despise about all this arguing is that it breeds intolerance and anger. While I did not write atheism is fundamentalism, I clearly hit a nerve. There was an immediate knee jerk reaction as so many were quick to defend the honor of atheism. What I meant is that is that any belief approaching extremism becomes dangerous. We cannot deny that much of the world holds a religious view and it does no good to ignore these folks and pretend they don't matter or exist. We're all poking around this planet together and any chance we've got at surviving the tumult that is civilization stems from some level of tolerance. Disagreement is fine, and darn right I encourage everyone to think independently, ask why, and spirit ideas here, there, and back again. But realize there is no way to engage others when you begin by rudely discounting their views. More on that troublesome notion of converts next.. stay tuned.
