For the most part I would consider myself a sympathetic atheist. Sometimes though when I explain why I am an atheist my criticisms of religion can be quite broad, especially when you start discussing some of the fundemental basis of religion such as the philosophical and moral problems with the whole concept of a omnipotent, omniscient, moral being.
However I do agree that religion has done much good in the world and has been, overall, a positive social force - even if it is wrong in its particulars.
One pet peeve or mine is the current use of worldviews to explain the conflict, mainly from the conservative Christians. It makes it sound as if there is no common ground, that the worldview of the atheist, Buddhist, Christian, etc are completely different when in reality they overlap a great deal. After all no matter what ones' beliefs about the next world we are all living in this one.
For the most part I would consider myself a sympathetic atheist. Sometimes though when I explain why I am an atheist my criticisms of religion can be quite broad, especially when you start discussing some of the fundemental basis of religion such as the philosophical and moral problems with the whole concept of a omnipotent, omniscient, moral being.
However I do agree that religion has done much good in the world and has been, overall, a positive social force - even if it is wrong in its particulars.
One pet peeve or mine is the current use of worldviews to explain the conflict, mainly from the conservative Christians. It makes it sound as if there is no common ground, that the worldview of the atheist, Buddhist, Christian, etc are completely different when in reality they overlap a great deal. After all no matter what ones' beliefs about the next world we are all living in this one.