Hostility toward believers only further solidifies their intellectual and emotional captivity. They are fearfully bonded to life-long conditioning. Respecting their inability or unwillingness to be emancipated and settng a better moral example can inspire curiosity.

Any criticism and explained hostility should be toward 'isms' holding them captive by fear. Fear and ignorance combined with admonitions to distrust their native ('god given' reasoning faculties are what entraps them.

Get them to reason by polite example and expansion of curiosity by pointing out how captors keep them herded and how sll power and benefits go to those in charge. Most will eventually emancipate themselves.

Well. to me I think there is a big difference between bashing a religion, and bashing a person. I'm all for the religion bashing, but never will I bash a person.
Well. Maybe a little bashing of the flerfers. lol.
JMHO

If only religion was not used to shade so many guilty, immoral, and unethical individuals then maybe it would be something to actually tolerate peacefully!!!

I agree. We are all here not because we hate religion, I would gather, but because we have found, with reason, that religion is limited and is based upon societal norms from where you happened to be born.

It must depend on what type of religious you are talking about. For those that are religious as defined by biblical text, I would not understand why any one would want to be hostile towards them except those involved in corruption.

Religion ... pure and faultless is this: to help widows and orphans in need and avoiding worldly corruption. James 1:27

I an hostile to Islam, not to Muslims. The best way to deal with followers of "the prophet" is to help and encourage them to apostatize, freeing themselves and humanity from the scourge of Islam.

I am very hostile because I have endured a life of hostility from them. I was nice for the first forty years. LOL

Oh, well. If I have to put up with their nonsensical BS then they have to put up with my scorn. USA.

Everyone handles their atheism differently, and reacts differently at different times. When I first chose to become an atheist, I was an "angry atheist" and was very hostile to all religions. Even then, though, I was not hostile to the followers, unless their actions or words warranted it.

My level of hostility or aggression is usually matched to their level of devotion, and their ability to have a conversation about our beliefs (or lack thereof). If they won't listen, can't agree to disagree, and insist on selling me on their version of the After-Life Pyramid Scheme, then my hostility grows.

But if I'm being honest, it's hard not to be hostile to even the most understanding religious devotee - depending on their view of the after-life. If a religion wants to preach that the non-believer deserves death and eternal torment for simply not believing in their brand of god, regardless of how well they live their life, maybe the hostility is justly earned...

" Undeserved hatred" you suggest.
What about the thousands of Atheists, etc, etc, that were tortured and murdered by Xstian Zealots in ages past?
Ever wonder exactly how many of your own distant relatives were subjected to horrors like that?
Have you ever bothered to sit and think of what could be still happening to this day IF there were no Laws passed that allowed us to speak freely, live freely, think freely and be Atheists, etc?
Ponder, IF you will, upon this scenario, A Xstian Zealot mob kicks in the door of YOUR home, snatches up your parent/s or siblings, drags him/her/them away, tortures him/her/them mercilessly and then MURDERS him/her/them PUBLICLY whilst proclaiming loudly that their God is perfect, kind, loving and your parent/s were evil, blasphemous Heathens who deserved to die.
Would you not feel anger, hatred, etc, etc?

Typically I would agree with you. Under our new paradigm, what they are doing now is irresponsible and dangerous. As far as I am concerned, they are now bringing it on themselves! Worship online, don't congregate. It's too soon. Look at the two pictures I just posted.

I don't get into many discussions with religious people about religion any more. I've never been one to back down from a good debate, but I've learned there are very few out there today willing to look at facts and reason when it comes to their deities. But I certainly don't become hostile toward them, as long as they remain civil with me that is.

Well, there's a bit of everything everywhere. Among atheist people there are the good and the bad, just like among religious people. Many of my friends are religious, yesterday was the Muslim Eid and I texted a former manager who is still a good friend who is a Muslim. The religious fanaticism has caused loads of grief among people, yes, but I have no reason to hate a person because of being religious. Many are very respectful as well. I'm against religion as a collective because this kind of belief is so personal that it doesn't make sense to make it collective. Even inside the religious people, many don't take the Bible too seriously and even don't believe everything in it. I'm against, for instance, like a radical Muslim, that was (probably still lives there) living in England and preaching for the destruction of the nation that was sheltering him and even giving social welfare benefits. A friend of mine in Belgium has loads of Muslims as neighbours, some on the welfare, but, when it comes to do some work alongside the natives (my friend is an atheist as well) they simply don't deny, not only because that's what they were taught but also they know it's civilised behaviour. The best working environment I ever had was among Muslims, hard working honest people. I have friends who are Christians and very sound and educated people. So, the animosity should be only towards the nasty part of any group.

It depends on the religion. There are some very open minded people who are religious.

I am only hostile to the religious who are out to turn the US into a theocracy; this is the wet dream of Dominionist Evangelicals. I have no tolerance for deniers of science, supporters of hatred, haters of equality for all and those who are using the government to enforce their religious beliefs onto the rest of us.

I do not go out to start fights, but I will stand against these people and I will be hostile when the situation calls for it.

Also, one of the most hostile things one person can say to another is "you deserve to be tortured for an eternity in hell because you don't follow my god and his rules."

Just a note: I typically refer to god as "it," not he/she, his/her.

I think it's deserved but not necessary, it's like beating a puppy for crapping on the floor yesterday-ain't got a clue why your beating it.

I've been on both sides of the fence. There are some christians who are the sweetest people on earth and who love everyone and respect everyone. They truly put others before themselves.Then there are some who are on a power trip and claim they are anointed by god and what they say is 100% fact. Alot of preachers are in the second category and general lay people and in the first.

The ones I blame for the destruction of human morals, are the ones educated in religion, the ones tgat really understand the purpose and goals of religion, and preach it anyway. The followers, the sheep, are generally just trying to get along in life, and don't really see the destructiveness and harm of life they do.....really do think they're trying to do good. And YES!!!! I am and will be anti-theist, and hostile toward religion and those that try to represent it as a thing of value to the human good....It is not...

Considering how many religious people want to turn their beliefs into laws to govern everyone, I think it's absolutely deserved.

You obviously have not experienced evangelicals up close and personal. I have. My Grandmother was an Assemblies of God Christian fundamentalist. While she was a personally good and loving woman, the beliefs she espoused were pernicious. They do not support democracy and are intolerant of beliefs that differ from their own. They see nothing wrong and in fact aspire to gaining control of the government so they can impose their dogma on people who do not willingly convert. Their acceptance of magical thinking undermines the foundation of everything we have that reliably works: evidence based reasoning i.e. science. In fact William Barr has said that he thinks the Enlightenment is what started society down the wrong road. Just think about the implications of that point of view! Much like Barr, they have no problem with lying, cheating or doing whatever will put them in power since it is all for the purpose of fulfilling "god's will".

I'm very much aware that many religious people do not fit the above description and that many people are drawn to religion as one of the few free social supports left in our increasingly dystopian society. However when you look at the leadership, it is very much about power. The Atlantic had an interesting article about a Catholic group that has nearly taken over a small town in Kansas: [theatlantic.com]
On the surface it seems benign enough, until you see the cult-like underside. So it is not just evangelicals who brook no dissent when they are in charge. The authoritarian spirit is very much alive and well wherever people who claim to be doing "god's will" become the majority and are not stopped by some force outside their control.

Atheists have had a tendency to be seen as angry cranks, which explains why the term is toxic to many people. Humanist ideals are wonderful and atheists would get a fairer hearing if they put more emphasis on what they are for instead of being defined by what they are against. Promoting the values of humanism should be the next step to truly engage the many people who are moving away from religion, because it is not just going from believing in something to believing in nothing - it is believing in something better. However atheists should never forget what the opposition's end-game is: do as we say because any day is a good day for an auto-da-fé.

Not all times is it deserved but sometimes it is . I don't get hostile I just keep my distance . They even fight amongst themselves , that's why there are so many tiny churches where I live .

I have many theist friends and I have no problem with religion for the most part. Theists are generally good people in my experience. I leave them to their beliefs and they leave me to my non-beleif. It’s worked pretty well so far.

I have animosity to most religions, but not all. There are non-fundamentalist, non-morman, religions that I couldn't care less about. But in this country close to 50% of religious people are fundamentalist, with the rest being divided amongst the previously main stream churches. And it is the fundamentalists that hold power and I do hate their churches and the individuals who belong to them. You cannot separate a church from it's members as far as wrong doing.

Ever find me on Your porch pushing pamphlets? I think not.......

I only have animosity toward religious nuts who want to force their beliefs on me.

Too many everybody is against everybody at some time anymore. Science will win when the drones come for them first.