Simple answer. Because of the harm religion and religious people cause.

The whole concept of a schizophrenic god who is both loving and mercilessly punitive leaves me cold. It relieves individuals of individual responsibility. If things go well, god gets the credit. If things go poorly, god gets a pass (it's his will). Religion also promotes divisiveness.

Someone once asked me... "If you don't read the bible, how do you know how to be?" And I said ... "I follow my own moral compass. My heart tells me what's right and wrong". I know too many self professed religious individuals who go to church every sunday and are nasty, vindictive and anything but kind.

i don't know whether i am an anti-theist or not. i know i am an atheist, and i know i am fervently in favor of the separation of church and state. i am also for the separation of church and my face. so when religion gets into my state or my face, then i may seem more militant than otherwise. if i run into someone who says, when asked, that she is episcopalian, but who wouldn't dream of asking jesus whether or not she should accept a job, or insisting that jesus loves me even after learning that i am not only an atheist but a jewish one, then why should what she believes bother me? if she votes for trump because, even though he stands against everything she claims to believe, at least he will appoint judges, however corrupt, however evil -- rapists, even! -- who may overturn roe v wade, so that because SHE is against abortion, no woman who feels differently about it has a choice in the matter, then yes, she bothers me; she is interfering with other people's freedom.

g

Religions are at the root of many of the world’s problems. They promote tribalism which leads people to believe that their group is the only one that matters; all other groups are inferior and must either be converted or eliminated. And the upper echelons, the priesthood, are led to believe they’re entitled to take advantage of their flock, i.e. the sheep.

Two words . . . prove it.

For me, it's easy. ALL religion is evil.
While it would be lovely to just "live and let live", they are the ones who have
NEVER allowed that. Religion insists on forcing it's influence. Whether it's
politics, or public policy. Religion forces itself on the People, all over the world.

It's not enough for the religious of the world to believe whatever bullshit they wish. They feel that they have the "divine right" to force everyone around them to live in
accordance with their delusions. There are whole countries that have no issue with
maiming and murdering those who do not adhere to their religious laws.

In the US, religion influences how people raise their children, how their children are educated, how medical care is allowed to be accessed. It's ridiculous.

I don't want anyone's religious delusions interfering with my life.
That, in and of itself, is more than enough.
As far as I'm concerned, there is no other reasonable position to take than
that of an anti-theist.

As a lifelong athiest I have dealt with being told I am less and people who are religious are somehow morally correct than me. I feel they need to be stood up against. Religion is used to justify patriarchy, discriminatory laws and actions, genocides, exc.. There is sufficient evidence against The Christian story of resistance and I thi think people who see that should stand up for their rights and those of others not to be limited and victimized in its name. Same with other religions elsewhere. The major religions only have so much power because of sustained force coercion and murder throughout history.

What if people were killing people and saying who was allowed to have sex because of an obviously fiction book about fairies? It would be wrong. Being against this is the the morally correct path.