In the ancient Greco-Roman persecutions, Christians were put to death on the grounds of atheism; that is, they did not believe in the gods. They believed in one God, but they rejected the pantheon of all other religions. Catholic journalist John L. Allen discusses some similarities between Christians and atheists today, particularly in a global context. Islamic radicals, he says, have two major targets: Christians and atheists. Also, worldwide, Christians join with atheists in promoting secular governments as opposed to theocracies.
From John L. Allen, Jr., An Easter reflection on what Christians and atheists have in common | Crux.:
Among Islamic radicals incensed with the West, no two groups stir rage like Christians and atheists. Christians symbolize the perceived sins of the Western past, while atheists embody what Islamists see as the decadence and apostasy of the Western present.
In Europe and North America, we tend to think the primary cultural fault line pits liberals against conservatives, with religious believers often concentrated on one side. American pollsters, for instance, say one good predictor of whether someone will vote Republican or Democrat is how often that person goes to church.
In much of the rest of the world, that’s just not how things align.
Instead, the clash that matters is between those who support a secular state and those seeking to impose theocracy by force. Radical Islam tends to be the most lethal version of the latter option, but it takes other forms, too, including Buddhist radicalism in Sri Lanka and Myanmar, Hindu extremism in India, and even forms of Christian militancy in conflict zones such as the Central African Republic.
When the question is framed as pluralism vs. intolerance, the result is to put religious minorities, non-fundamentalist followers of the majority religion, and non-believers in the same boat, with Christians and atheists often at special risk should intolerance prevail.
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