Can Atheists be fundamentalists too (in the way that there are Muslim and Christian fundamentalists)?

Question

I sometimes think that there are atheists and secularists who are just as fundamentalist as those extremists..of different religons...

For example in French..children are banned from wearing all manisfestaions of their religion in schools...
And I have heard atheist belittle the beleives of people who beleive in God..Some even saying they want all religion banned or wiped of this Earth...


If I as a Muslim said that about Christians or Atheists ..you would rightly label me a fanatic!!

So should the same be true of Atheists who say intolerant things????

(BTW..I'm not talking about all ateists just a minority...and I think it is true that all religons have a minority of fundamentalist..it is just human nature)


What do you think????

Answer 1

Well, here in Y!A according to my experiences atheists and Christians are both fanatics. Muslim are tolerant but seemingly very religious, and the Hindus appear to be the most "normal" people.
Atheism is a bit funny thing, because we believe in our tenets just as irrationaly as religious people do. We need no proofs, and anybody who says the oppoite is retarded. :)

Answer 2

Typically, a fundamentalist is one who believes in the basic, original or orthodox teachings of a faith or system. Old testament vs New testament, for example.

To say that an atheist could be a fundamentalist, would imply that there is more than one "school" of atheism. I don't think there is. Atheists, as I understand them, simply don't believe in God.

Now, you can have people who are fanatical about their beliefs. Being a fundamentalist doesn't mean you're fanatical.

I hope this helps.

I wish you Peace.

Answer 3

Yes i think there could be fundamentalists of all creeds so why not .
in Australia there are communities that the law it self does not touch, or more to the fact , to scared.
And in these 'communities' anything can be one to any one, or anyone bought in from the outside.
Then these communities turn the nearest of towns as kind of like recruitment centers.
so on so forth

The point is that poeples moral qualities get messed up when it does come down to such a trivial fat as religion

Answer 4

The primary difference between atheists and bible thumpers is that atheists do not go door to door demanding bible thumpers give up their religion. Nor do atheists demand government facilities, including schools, be used to proclaim an ideological message of any kind.

Atheists only have one fundamental, God does not exist, so you might say atheists are fundamentalists. But, in reality, the question makes no sense given the fact atheism has no doctrine to be interpreted.

Answer 5

Sure, there can be fundamentalist athiests. There's always someone who carries their beliefs to extremes. Madeline Murray O'hare, for example, or that guy in California who sued because his daughter had to say "Under God" in the pledge of allegance, and because US currency says "In God We Trust".

I think most athiests and agnostics would be happy if believers just stopped pushing their religion on others. And most believers don't try to convert others, or will stop when asked to do so. It's the small, pushy minority that get the bum rap for all of this.

Answer 6

crazy people are crazy no matter what flag they hide themselves behind.

anyone who is desperate for you to believe what they believe in has problems of the psychotic nature.

so yes, there are crazy atheists. don't confuse them with those that try to point out the fallacy in religion though. they're just trying to make a point. but like you said, the ones who say that everyone except themselves should be wiped off the earth and that atheism is the only way to live are crazy.

so ignore them. YA has way too many of those.

Answer 7

The world is filled with all sorts of good people, religious or non-religious.

Unfortunatelly there are also a large number of bad people, also religious and non-religious. They only see their own truth, and anything outside that truth is wrong. Fundamentalist in Truth are everywhere, from every side of the political or religious agenda.

Answer 8

There are always people who will be extreme in their views.
Pesonally, the idea of no religion is a wonderful one to me! I don't consider that a fundamentalist idea(which, by the way is a religious ideal-Atheism is not a religion).

Answer 9

Of course they can! Among both theists and atheists you Will find fanatics; they believe they have a case and they are most interested in defending it. . . . . Actually atheism is a belief itself. . . To me, atheism = theism, both are arbitrary form of belief, about the existence or the non-existence of a Deity. . . .
I do not see any significant difference. . . . If you are more rational, then you would be agnostic. . . .

Answer 10

I'll have to wait a while before I answer your question until I get enough replies to my question of what the word 'fundamentalist' means :)

Until then I have no idea what to say...