That religious fundamentalists try to persuade or recruit me ISN'T the problem I have with them.

[Silent3]

One person wanting to change another person's mind is not a crime in my book. One person saying bad things about what another person believes is free speech, not an unforgivable assault, not intrusive interference in that person's life.

If religious believers are passionate about what they believe, and think belief has important consequences, they SHOULD speak out. As long as they don't try to use violence or the force of law to IMPOSE their beliefs on others, I have no problem with their desire to evangelize.

My problem with religious fundamentalists is in their ACTIONS, not their WORDS. Prop 8, for example. Trying to deny women access to abortion. Pushing ineffective abstinence-only sex ed over much more effective sex ed that includes discussion of birth control. Using the military to promote Christianity and ostracize and even intimidate other kinds of believers and non-believers. Forcing schools to eliminate or water-down important teaching of science when it comes to evolution.

Why do I bring this up? Because I'm sure many people would call me an "atheist fundamentalist". Am I trying to outlaw religion? Nope. Am I trying to pass laws for mandatory abortions and mandatory gay marriages? Nope. Am I running a campaign to have "IN GOD WE DON'T TRUST" stamped on our coinage? No, not even that.

But I do speak out about being an atheist. I do criticize religion. I do think the world would be a better place without religion or other supernatural and superstitious beliefs. And I'm not afraid to say these things.

If you're a Democrat (a pretty safe bet for most readers here) and you'd like to convince Republicans to switch sides and vote for Democrats, does that make you a Democratic Fundamentalist? Are you an intolerant bastard if you scoff at and mock the failed economic policies of the Bush years?

If I'm an atheist, why should I have to tiptoe around saying what I think about, for example, transubstantiation, more than I would about tax cuts for the rich?

When it comes to tax policy, I actually am working to change laws and "impose" my views on other people! When it comes to claiming that little pieces of bread can be transformed by prayer into bits of dead savior meat, I just laugh and point out how silly, and how very weird, I think that idea is, nothing more.

How is using the force of law to make a few rich people pay more taxes than they want to pay, against their BELIEFS it what's fair or not fair, not "fundamentalist", while mere verbal criticism with no imposed burdens or restrictions is something that gets denounced as intolerance and fundamentalism?