I've been hearing a lot of noise lately about how infighting and splinter-movement differences are 'splitting' the 'atheist community' apart. If we stick to 'traditional' status-quo definitions and categorisations, this seems almost inexplicable, yet quite distressing, but if we really look at it without all that, the observed 'differing opinion' (and attitude) makes perfect sense.
What is 'atheism'? It is but a theist-leader (thus follower) term that describes a group of people who don't adhere to their (or any similar) belief system... 'those (dangerous!) people outside our bubble', in other words.
Remove that 'faux' wrapper, and what have you? A lot of different people doing and thinking different things in very different ways. It's only normal that they have differences between themselves, and it seems almost inane to try to group them under... a dictate's self-serving purposely-ignorant hate-generating label for 'dissenters', and it's even more inane when 'atheists' try to do this themselves (and complain when it doesn't work).
But it is important to put up a facade of an 'atheist community': for many (if not most) indoctrinatees, the thought of not living in a 'protective' community inspires fear, and that 'there is another community' facade is almost required to make them think twice (or once!) about considering other options than that already chosen for them. It is also important to stand and be counted as an 'atheist': although an 'appeal to popularity' is a logical fallacy, for many indoctrinees, it is the strongest argument one can make.
So, although we should accept the 'atheist' label from theists, anyone without religion should really be naming themselves and each other for what they are (and the result will be myriad), not by someone else's 'what they aren't' description.
