That's from his book, "Down and Out in Paris and London", and was not about Ingersoll.

Second, I assume that you were not aware that Orwell was himself an atheist.

Capt Gregory Prickett - I am aware that he was an atheist. I draw a distinction between atheists and militant atheists. Very similar to the line I draw between the people of faith and militant people of faith. I don't have a problem with atheists. I used to be one. But zealots of any stripe bear watching.

In the past you have voiced your distaste of the faithful posting their messages of faith in this forum. Honestly, I'm not enamored with those posts myself. I don't think I have the power to convert. People find something missing in their life and it is an "itch that demands a scratch." The best way for me to "convert" someone is to be the best I can be. If someone sees a lack of spiritual "itch" in my life and they are ready, they will ask. If they aren't ready, they won't. I only talk as long as they have interest.

But I have a problem with your "atheist" posts. To the best of my recollection, your "atheist" related posts are not atheist posts, they are attacks upon faith, for the most part on Christian faith. In my book that puts you squarely on the "bears watching" page. You are not tolerant. You will not leave people happy in their faith. You feel the need to take their faith away. I find it difficult to believe that you can just strive to be the best you can be and exercise the patience of waiting for people to ask you about your sense of peace from being an atheist.

You are as evangelist in your atheism as those who posts their messages of faith. But yours is an attack evangelism. And I will scroll on, unless you attack faith (any faith). Then I feel the call to respond. I believe you don't believe in God, but I don't believe that belief is nearly as strong as your dislike of him. You spend a great deal of time disliking someone you don't believe exists.

Say what you will about the relative morality of atheists and people of faith, but atheist states are every bit as blood thirsty and oppressive as theocracies. Atheist States have killed, imprisoned, tortured and oppressed far more in a little over a hundred years, than theocracies have in 5000 years. Not all those killed imprisoned, tortured and oppressed are people of faith, but it is a common thread through atheist states. People of faith do not fare well.

I don't think the common thread in bad behavior is religion or atheism. I think it is people, particularly people who seek power to shape the world in their image. Some people are just not good and neither practicing a faith nor being an atheist will change that.