"Fundamentalist Atheism"

This is rich. Dawkins gets accused of expressing "anti-Judaism", which I suppose is probably true in a strict sense, but of course Dawkins is for pointing out the logical fallacies in any religion, not just Judaism. And of course, he is attacking the ideas, not the people. It is interesting how quickly they threw out the "anti-Judaism" comment in light of the negative connotations associated with it.

Check out the third to last paragraph. This is awesome. They are trying to hint that Dawkins is aggressive because of "the fact that today’s intellectuals do not automatically embrace atheist positions any longer." As if Dawkins is only frustrated because his position is untenable or something. No, atheists are aggressive and frustrated because we are sick of you trying to force your fantasy fanaticism down our throats.

"According to Jaschke hell has not played a prominent role in the churches during the last 50 years."

You've got to be kidding me, right? Let's try to downplay the nasty parts even though it doesn't make our position any more tenable. It's bullshit anyway, I've been to enough church services in recent memory to be able to provide eye-witness testimony to the fact they still try to scare the shit out of kids with hellfire.

From Christian News Today

Dawkins Accuses Christians of Spiritual Abuse German Bishop Challenges Atheist’s Views of Old Testament

By Wolfgang Polzer

MAINZ (ANS) -- Professor Richard Dawkins, one of the world’s best-known
atheists and evolutionists, has accused Christians of committing spiritual abuse, if they teach their children the existence of hell.

Dawkins, author of the bestseller “The God Delusion”, took part in a television debate on the German channel ZDF, November 15. His opponents were the leader of the main line Protestant Churches in Germany, Bishop Wolfgang Huber, and the Roman Catholic auxiliary Bishop Hans-Jochen Jaschke.

Dawkins said both Protestant and Catholic clergy in America threatened children with hell’s torment, if they do not believe. Dawkins also criticized modern theology for selecting more or less arbitrarily which bible passages were acceptable. He described the God of the Old Testament as a malicious and cruel figure.

Bishop Huber rejected these allegations and called them an expression of anti-Judaism. God’s history with Israel was one of liberation from slavery, he said. In this context the Ten Commandments were given to Israel.

The Christian faith manifests itself in love, said Huber, even the love of one’s enemy. Such a love could not be explained without God. The Bishop conceded that there are controversial views of hell. But it was also inappropriate to speak of a “cute God”. Everyone is accountable to God, Huber said.

He accused Dawkins of presenting a “very fundamentalist atheism”. The aggressive tone of his arguments could be a result of the fact that today’s intellectuals do not automatically embrace atheist positions any longer.

According to Jaschke hell has not played a prominent role in the churches during the last 50 years. Religious education concentrated on teaching trust and confidence. A child was assured of being accepted by a loving God.

Jaschke emphasized that the key to biblical understanding is Jesus Christ. “Never believe for one moment that all evil will cease, once you have got rid of religion,” Jaschke warned Dawkins.