What? An universal church of atheism? :-)
What? An universal church of atheism?
Most atheists do not identify themselves as atheists, just because, the whole question for them is a non-issue. They don't believe in the pheonix, either, but don't go around calling themselve apheonixes. The whole idea of identifying oneself in terms of what one does not believe in is ludicrous.
Most people identify atheism with a small radical and vocal number of individuals who are actually anti-religion. Atheists are not anti-religion.
They may believe the religious are mistaken, and may engage in discussion about specific points which the religious frequently put forward, but the one thing any thinking atheist would always insist is that every individual be free to think and believe what they choose. Every atheist knows, freedom begins with the freedom to pursue one's own beliefs, to promote them, practice them, and follow them in their personal choices."
Thomas Paine, possibly the most famous of Atheists, (though actually a Deist), said, "As to religion, I hold it to be the indispensible duty of every government, to protect all conscientious professors thereof." This is the predominant view of those who are not themselves professors of any religion, but who understand the necessity for liberty in belief and thought for all men.
Hank