What is meant by a militant atheist? The word ‘militant’ implies behaving in an aggressive manner or being engaged in warfare. The idea of using warlike language to describe what goes on in other areas of human endeavour outside the conventional battlefield is not unusual. The medical profession uses a great deal of it: The war on cancer, a new weapon against malaria, the words target, bullet etc are in constant use in medical terminology. Drugs are sometimes called cluster bombs that deliver a precise chemical payload. Religions also make use of military language. Zealous preachers are just as imaginative as doctors in the war against evil. The Salvation Army is itself a military expression. For the most part this language goes almost unnoticed in the war on disease and the war on the devil but it is a bit out of place in professions which aim to practise the “gentle art of healing” and the spirit of “love thy neighbour”.

To continue, the word 'militant' is almost always used in a pejorative sense. If you know of a person who is very vigorous campaigning (another military word) against something you don’t approve of yourself you may describe him as being a militant campaigner rather than, say, an energetic campaigner or a vigorous campaigner. In this case the word 'militant' is being used judgementally, to denounce and to diminish a person you see as a protagonist.

It is becoming fashionable to use the term 'militant atheists' when referring to people, like Richard Dawkins, who publicly declare themselves as atheists and write energetically on the subject. This use of the word is designed to emphasise to the ‘faithful’ that there is an underhand enemy out there preparing to do battle.

Which none military epithet might be attached to atheism? Gentle atheism? Peaceful atheism? Why not just atheism? Atheism is a perfectly good word all by itself but I suspect most atheists would like to be thought of as wiser than religious believers – so, why not wise atheism?

Atheist writers will naturally use words that are offensive to those who believe in an extra-terrestrial God. Special properties of holiness and sacredness are ascribed to God that make a lot of purely secular language offensive to believers.

Might atheists sometimes refer to militant evangelists? In their missionary zeal, evangelists have indeed often behaved in a warlike manner in their desire to convert non-believers.

The available statistics suggest atheism is more appealing to those who are well educated, who are scientific and who have high IQs. It is less appealing to those with lower IQs, those who spend time in prison and those who have no appreciation of scientific method. So, perhaps 'wise atheism' is not far off the mark. Of course, there is no reason to suspect that atheists are any happier than religious believers – or any unhappier for that matter – but that is not the issue. If atheism were thrust on people against their will, as is often the case with religion, it would bring about a lot of unhappiness and would result in a form of atheism totally lacking in wisdom.

The upshot of all this is to declare a truce (another military term) and try to practise the way of life that suits us best. And so we continue to fight the good fight.

Anthony Constable