Every day our Western world becomes more secular. Every Canadian faith is seeing a decline in worship service attendance — save for evangelical Christians. And according to StatsCanada over half of us age 15 to 29 either don’t have a religion or never attend worship services.

These trends are welcomed by atheists who feel that faith necessitates intolerance and oppression of non-believers. But there’s an irony among many members of this “free-thought” movement. As Alom Shaha of the Guardian points out, “Fanatical atheism can be as ugly as religious fanaticism.”

There definitely are parallels between the two groups. Some atheists feel comfortable mocking the “Bible thumping” Christian — the person who quotes Jesus, insisting His words have peerless wisdom and authority.

At the same time, there’s the liberal arts student who feels enraptured, even born-again, after reading God is not Great or The God Delusion. Reading these scriptures, many feel compelled to spread the gospel of atheism, to herd stray sheep back to the one true path: doubt.

Now it’s not like atheists are burning Muslims or Christians at the stake for their beliefs. I understand religious leaders have persecuted people on a grander scale than angry atheists do.

Still, some atheists are guilty of the very dogmatism and prejudice they criticize religions for. Christopher Hitchens famously remarked, “I’m absolutely convinced that the main source of hatred in the world is religion and organized religion, and I think it should be religion [that’s] treated with ridicule and hatred and contempt.”

Far from ushering in free thought, Hitchens and his disciples are just like another “cult,” as their leader calls religion. They seek to mock and scorn all the heretics who don’t adopt their particular school of thought.

Just like religious zealots, angry atheists believe things like “Only our system can better society!” and “Only we understand the true nature of existence.” And because of this, atheists feel a duty to antagonize religion — to show that atheism is the way and the truth and the life.

In a piece called “Atheists and Anger,” blogger Greta Christina writes that atheists must be angry because “anger has driven every major movement for social change in [America], and probably in the world.” She aptly cites movements for civil rights, women’s suffrage and gay rights as examples of anger-fuelled revolution.

But it’s also self-important to liken destroying religious communities to movements that brought women the vote or ended segregated schooling.

Still, the angry atheist tells me that by supporting communities of faith, I’m promoting hate and slaughter. They point out how grave atrocities like genocide and genital mutilation are still committed in the name of religion. So they say it naturally follows that we should cleanse the world of religion.

Almost every anti-religious argument hinges on this same idea: that religious organizations hurt people. And they’re right; the institutions are the ones to blame. So why can’t we fix them?

Consider pre-civil war America during which slavery was a legal institution. Should Americans have said, “Our constitution permits this atrocity; therefore democracy as a whole must go?” Or was it better that America simply amended their constitution to abolish slavery?

In the same way, religions can reform and “correct” themselves without losing their faith. Eventually the Catholic Church accepted heliocentricity. And more recently the Church began supporting the use of contraception — well, kind of.

But I wonder if fanatical atheists would even be happy seeing religions accept modern science and ethics. Having spent high school as a Christian (and a member of the debate team) I’m tempted to say no.

I’d like to believe angry atheists are fighting exclusively for social progress. But then I remember all those lunch hours I spent debating smarmy skeptics. And I learned one thing about some atheists. Nothing gets them off like watching a believer struggling to defend his or her faith.

The same pettiness surfaces in atheist literature, but most clearly in forums like YouTube. Like a broken record, angry atheists fire wisecracks at only the most naïve  believers.

But we get it already. The Christians who support the Creation museum or respond to atheist arguments by reciting John 3:16 are uninformed.

There’s no question that anyone who blindly follows their faith, without studying outside sources, is ignorant. But an “enlightened” atheist, who derives smug, sadistic pleasure from watching the faithful squirm, is also a total ignoramus.

I should know — I’ve played both these fools before.

Anyone who truly believes in free-thought ought to accept religion and secularism alike. Too many people, atheists and believers alike, are blinded by their stupid tribal allegiances. Both groups need to open their minds.

You religious folk would be wise to seek knowledge outside your religious community, to ask hard questions — if only to strengthen your faith.

And here’s my advice to all the self-proclaimed angry atheists: pick your battles. Since you’re sure people who pray and worship are just wasting time, don’t waste your own complaining about them. And since you also know you can be righteous without religion, prove it by treating believers with respect and love.

But maybe this is wishful thinking. Maybe that carpenter we crucified was more realistic when he warned, “If they persecuted me, they’ll also persecute you.”

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Graphic: Brianna Whitmore/The Sheaf