Hi Mike. Yeah, it's me, Dennis.
So listen.
I was on the bus this afternoon and the driver was listening to your radio program, and I found it rather interesting to listen to you. Your smooth, almost calming voice was at complete odds with what it was saying. I didn't record or write down what you said, so forgive me for having to paraphrase...
Atheists are terrified of religion. If religion is dead and non-existent as they say, why should they even worry about it? Just ignore it. You're not afraid of a dead snake, are you? Its head is 4 feet from its body. It poses no threat to you. If religion is silly and God doesn't exist, why are you so afraid of it?
Because you're terrified of God. You know He exists, and you're afraid of him.
No, Mike, I'm not afraid of your religion or your God (who, might I add, is not the same God who is in your Bible). I'm afraid of dominionists like yourself, who use religion as a shield from behind which you actively hate your fellow man.
You use your religion as a shield to justify discrimination and harm of LGBT folks, by denying them their basic rights and protections just because you disapprove of their natural attractions to other consenting adults.
You use your religion as a shield to justify discrimination and harm of women, by denying them their basic healthcare rights and actively working to deny them equal status with men.
You use your religion as a shield to make the argument that a fetus deserves more rights and care than a living, breathing human being.
You use your religion as a shield to keep children from thinking differently from you, by discouraging critical thinking at all costs.
You scream "religious persecution" when your religion isn't given special treatment.
I am neither afraid of your God nor your religion.
I'm afraid of the hateful, harmful things you do in the name of your religion, Mike.
Get it straight.