Militant Atheism: Transformative or Toxic

When a mealtime prayer is disrupted by an atheist who considers it insulting, has he established necessary boundaries of respect, or has he alienated himself from those he seeks to influence?

When an atheist activist greets parishoners with shouts and picket signs on the front lawn of a church, is he effectively making his case against the influence of superstition, or is he branding the entire movement as disruptive and inflammatory?

When a lawsuit is filed over a nativity scene on public property or a prayer at a city hall meeting, is it a beneficial fight to preserve church/state separation, or is it a distraction from more important issues?

These are difficult questions, and no doubt there are many times when a confrontation is appropriate.  But is militant atheism a help or a hindrance as we work to rescue our communities and culture from the influence of religion?

Your calls.  Your emails (editor@thethinkingatheist.com) 

Time Zone Converter:  http://www.timezoneconverter.com/cgi-bin/tzc.tzc