Reply #10: I think atheists and freethinkers catch so much "bad PR" b/c we do attack

[no_hypocrisy]

society's sacred cow, organized religion. A lot of people are dependent upon their dogma in order to have an identity. Religion has been portrayed as protecting the pariah demographic groups such as the disenfranchised sick and poor. I hear consistently about how it weren't for "The Church" (Catholic), there would be no culture as it funded music and art in Europe.

And our attacks make it seem like we're being petty, but I don't think so. We do criticize, but, with the exception of a few demi-tyrants in our groups, it's extremely specific and targeted. We can debate the specific weaknesses and failings of religion traditionally and contemporaneously. It's not like we go around with the wholesale mantra of "Close the churches". We can articulately state deficiencies but it's funny how our opponents won't engage with us. I'm tired of hearing attacks on the late Madelyn Murray O'Hare and what a mouth she had on her. How about not begging the question, making ad hominum attacks on a dead atheist, and addressing our points?

And to the original point of the post, atheists are critical of almost everything: politics/whoever's in charge (dems are not necessarily immune), the economy, even each other. I've met atheists who are very much misothropic due to their critical nature. So yeah, being critical when society wants you to be pleasant and to play nice doesn't endear you to your neighbors, your community, and your nation.