I am also an anti-theist. Not anti-religious PERSON, but anti-RELIGION!

One of my favorite quotes: "Religion was invented by rich people to keep poor people from killing them"

I agree. I live in an upscale +55 community. This was a very good place to live until about three years ago. In the last three years, evangelicals from the "fly over" states have been buying up the properties as former residents pass away. This community is now predominately evangelical and they now control the HOA and have even setup their own church on property that is owned by all community residents. I have family close by and the health problems we all face as we get older, so I have stayed here for those reasons. I am very outspoken and have no tolerance with religious freaks. Lately, there was an incident with evangelical residents. I trimmed my palm trees on a Sunday and began setting palm leaves by the curb for Monday garbage pickup. A woman stopped her car, came over to me and said "You know today is Sunday. You are not supposed to work on Sunday". My reply was "lady, I am a Pagan. Sunday is the only day I can work". She had a very shocked look on her face and quickly got in her car and left. This encounter did make the community gossipers active that day. For me, saying what I said, put a smile on my face.

It's kinda like terrorism isn't it? One way thinking and everyone else is wrong and deserves to be punished. It's freakin' evil. I'm open to possibilities, and use logic and reasoning on how and why, and even why not, but dictatorship is something that grinds my gears, not to mention a lot of my friends. You're not alone in feeling this way. We all want to live in a world with freedom of choice, to explore and learn and not be told how to think and feel, and that's the real evil of religion right there. No difference between it an what hitler was trying to achieve

Once upon a time, religion & politics were not considered topics of conversation, religion especially was a private thing, and that surrounding silence allowed freedom of personal expression in the church & home. One reason why religion was free from taxes.
Now money has corrupted all this, because people, beginning with Billy Graham (who probably was quite sincere) found that not only could they enjoy a Lot of power but also get very, very rich manipulating a ready-made audience of Sheep.

I am not tolerant of religion because of its interference in the laws of the land. The evangelicals helped put the scumbag Russian shill in the White House and all the GOP in other key spots that are making our country a corrupt mess of gun toting anti women anti diversity activities.

You don't sound anti-religious to me. You sound afraid. I'd say that fear is justified. Millions of people donating meager savings to foaming at the mouth, speaking in tongues, wealth-gospel ministers is terrifying.

I try to stay tolerant of the beliefs of others. My agnostic daughter is marrying her atheist boy friend next Halloween. I get to help plan the secular wedding that will be attended by a host of Catholics, Lutherans, and Baptists. Glad the majority of them like to drink. I figure if I sate them with food and drink their wits will be too dull to notice the minister is pastafarian.

As for the religious not hurting people. Good luck with that. The view is so skewed. After my kids father and I separated we were debating over the phone about abortion. Our religious cores really came to light during our separation and divorce. I wanted them safe and legal. He was appalled at the idea of murdering unborn children. At one point he shouted at me, "How can you sleep at night?"
I replied, "How can you? You are a cog in a war machine." He was active duty Air Force. There had been a time when he and I were in agreement about not liking the way our government used the armed forces for resource wars, then somewhere along the way, he drank the kool aide.

I used to be more tolerant of people in general. it seems even though the sea levels are rising... The gene pool is shallowing. I have much less tolerance for BS now. So, in a way, I am with you!

I am an anti-religion atheist and getting more militant.

More like freedom from religion. Research as shown that was what was intended from the founding fathers. Our government was founded in secularism. So I wholeheartedly agree!

Welcome to confirmed atheism! Reminds me of the old cliche about how religion is like a penis. It's all well and good that you have one and I'm glad it makes you happy but do NOT wave it in my face!

I don’t think you’ll get many who disagree with you here...freedom to believe or disbelieve should be the rule. That means of course, no proselytising or preaching outside of church/temple/mosque...but how do we implement that?

As someone who is strongly anti-war, I find most of them repugnant with their hypocrisy, they support the wars, the crimes of our government, and while I can make allowance for the few naive younger ones who do not know what they are getting into, I consider most of them to have the blood of many men, women and children on their hands. They think they are crusading, or simply out of jingoism and racism are happy to participate in activities that are extremely morally repugnant, white phosphorous, depleted uranium, drones, supporting the theft of Palestinian land and the outright murder of Palestinians, support of the war in Yemen, of the Saudi royalty, the murder or imprisonment of journalists, even advocates of war with Russia and China, they think that they are protected by god, they are some of the most ignorant, hard-headed, low-life scum on the planet.

When the subject of religion comes up, I tell peple in no uncertain terms that I have no interest in any kind of organized religion.

Organized religion does provide one positive thing, and that is a sense of belonging and community. As animals humans evolved in groups, because it provided safety and increase dchances for survival. Instinctually many persons are still drawn into groups. Belonging gives themn a sense of peace, safety and security.

However, all the dogma and arbitrary doctrines, based on guilt shame and fear, that come with religion, makes the emotional costs of religion much higher than the any emotional benefits they provide.

I think my biggest objection to organized religion is that it reaches people to love others based on how they conform to religious standards rather than loving them for who they are as loving and caring persons.

I practice tolerance for those who are fundamentally good people helping others, the intolerant I show disdain

I have a joke I tell here in the South: "Religion is like Communism: it's dead wrong. It's the kind of wrong where it doesn't work even if everyone does it right."

No one laughs, though, cuz they know I ain't a joking, lol.

Faith and patriotism (or zealotry and nationalism if we’re being honest) will be the downfall of humanity. If we don’t make it as a species (I’m not holding my breath) it’ll be due to one (or both) of those so-called “virtues”.

Religion comes in many forms. It becomes an excuse to behave in inappropriate ways.
ie: I believe in god and I pray therefore I am justified to be sanctimonious and judgemental on those that do not. I’m sorry you are delusional

Feel a rant coming on, why must people insist on saying bless you or insallah.I DONT want their blessings, and it's got nothing to do with Allah allowing. Wish they would save them for someone that feels they need a crutch

The idea of religious tolerance is so foreign to me.... like maybe being tolerant towards truth is closer to the answer

And maybe being intolerant towards anything not true is also correct behavior regardless if it is supported by some riddles in a holy book and regardless of how many people believe it

~~ 'universal truth is not measured in mass appeal' ~~

.....religion is the opium of the people.

I hesitate to be as intolerant of the religious as they are of us...but on the other hand: some of them are REALLY obnoxious. If freedom of/from actually worked, that would be great. In reality, some cannot resist the chance to lecture, coerce, proselytize, preach, or say things that just are outright insulting/hurtful. Not just about religion, either; the self-righteous in general are hard to take on any topic.
Enter: My daughter, who has a funny but excellent answer for anyone who says anything that she doesn’t want to hear, lol: ‘When did you start paying my bills? Oh, -I- pay them. Right. Fuck off.’

Unfortunately, the road we are headed will put us in league with all the other religiously dominated countries like the middle east. It will hurt our world standing and probably economics. tRump and his ilk is driving all this. The religious fanatics see an ally (and he sees patsies and makes use of them). It seems we are headed for a war albeit a cold war right now but it could escalate. The biggest problem is all the christian cults vying for power and there could even be inner conflicts.

Your free country is fading fast and I'm not wanting to tolerate religions. Not any more.