An opinion on the relationships between atheists and theists from the National Post

Charlie Lewis of the Holy Post has offered another opinion piece on the relationship between atheists and believers. You can read it here. Among the numerous comments that have been generated, Charlie responds to one poster in a manner that succinctly brings a light to the reason why we believers demand that our voices be heard in the public square. I share it in the hopes that it might generate a discussion here on his assessment.

A thoughtful reader wrote that atheists would stop getting angry at religious people when we "stopping trying to cram things down his throat." I took the time to respond to him even though I'm pretty certain nothing would ever change his mind.
Here's what I wrote:

"Please take the time to read what I'm writing to you. And then tell me what you think.

Your idea is that religious people are trying to jam views down your throat. Who are these people? I know they're not most mainstream Protestants and not Catholics. We don't go door to door. As for such issues as abortion and gay marriage, everyone is entitled to an opinion. I'm a Catholic, for example, and I pay taxes, vote, volunteer in my community. I'm just as valuable a citizen as you are. So if you're saying any religious person is not entitled to an opinion then you are not a believer in democracy.

If you're saying religious people have determined the Canadian political landscape then I suggest you look around. Even with a Conservative government legalized gay marriage and abortion at any stage of pregnancy is legal. And given those were two key issues that concerned religious conservatives I can only conclude the religious lost that fight. So much for influence.

The other issue is you're assuming all religions are the same. Members of the United Church are very liberal: they support abortion rights, gay marriage, etc.

As well, the concern of many religious people is in the realm of social justices, relieving third world debt, reducing poverty. Young evangelicals today, for example, are more interested in these issues than gay marriage or other social conservative causes.

You stereotype all people under one brush called religious.

Give me one concrete example of someone trying to shove anything down your throat.

I realize this note is a waste of time because you already made up your mind. And by the way, I know a lot of Catholics and I never hear them talk about atheists.

You could try practicing that same idea of "live and let live."