Over at Daylight Atheist [1], Ebonmuse carefully sets out the meaning of a word that is sometimes hurled by one non-theist at another: accommodationist.
It seems there are some people who don’t know what the word “accommodationist” means. In its original sense, that word was used to describe those who believe that religion and science occupy strictly non-overlapping spheres of thought, and that we must never argue that science disproves any religious belief. It’s since widened somewhat to include those who urge atheists to stop criticizing religious belief or publicly expressing our atheism. But it’s never referred to those who merely express the opinion that mockery and ridicule sometimes aren’t the best strategy. If that’s the definition of accommodationism, then I’m an accommodationist. (But it isn’t, and I’m not.)
Excellent discussion follows the post, focusing on the extent to which ridicule aimed at theists could/should be used by non-theists.
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