Militant atheism

There’s an interesting discussion going on the weblog althouse, right here Althouse: Those contemptuous atheists… why won’t they be kind?

Ann Althouse writes about Nicholas Kristoff’s NY Times column this morning, quoting Kristoff:

[There is] an increasingly assertive, often obnoxious atheist offensive led in part by [Richard] Dawkins — the Oxford scientist who is author of the new best seller “The God Delusion.” It’s a militant, in-your-face brand of atheism that he and others are proselytizing for….

[T]he tone of this Charge of the Atheist Brigade is … contemptuous and even … a bit fundamentalist.

Ann Althouse’s commentary (I presume she’s an agnostic) is interesting, as are many of the comments left by readers (including one two from me).