Atheists or Theophobes?

Ever wondered why many secular activists who call themselves atheists get so angry when someone else even mentions God, let alone worshiping him? What difference does it make for the militant atheists if, as they say, God is something they don't believe in? Do we see anyone else going nuts about something he doesn't believe in?

How many adults believe in Santa? But do we see many of them condemning an elementary school teacher for asking the kids to write a letter to Santa? Do we see many of those who don't believe in magic and sorcery protesting against Harry Potter books? So why do we have so many atheists troubled with any reference to God or Christianity?

Logically speaking, if anyone should be opposed to "one nation under God" or "in God we trust" - those should be religious people who may view that as using the Lord's name in vain. But most of the opposition to mentioning God comes from those claiming not to believe that God even exists.

Atheism has nearly always been with us in one form or another, but the atheists we’ve been hearing the most from lately—chiefly Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris—are a new breed. Unlike the old-school humanists, the new atheists—or anti-theists, as some of them prefer to be called—don’t want to just deny the existence of God, they want to wipe religion off the map.

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So why does it happen? I think the explanation is that those people are not really atheists. They may claim they don't believe in God but deep down inside they are not sure of that. Some of them were baptized as infants and probably attended the services decades ago with their parents, others might have other ways to discover that those are their roots, no matter if they like it or not. Since then they have the inner voice questioning them whether becoming secular was the right thing to do.

That's why God and Christianity bothers pretended atheists so much. It reminds them of their roots. It makes them question their beliefs. When a militant secularist protests against mentioning God in a public school (which none of his children attend) he does it to reaffirm is own beliefs; to prove first and foremost to himself that no, he doesn't believe in God and that those days when his mother was bringing him to church are long over. That silences the inner voice for a few days or maybe weeks. But then there's something else that makes the individual think about religion and he hears the same voice asking him again "are you sure?"

It often happens that a convert lashes out at his old religion. Some may see that as an attempt to prove his new spiritual friends that his conversion was sincere. In fact, he's just trying to prove that to himself. Converts to militant secularism are not exempt. They call themselves atheists. The article names them anti-theists. I would call them theophobes, because in my opinion that's the best description of their emotional state. They are afraid that their old religion may call on them to come back.