@CuriousFrankly @NiceAtheistGirl I read your blog post, and was tempted briefly to post a response on mine, but I'll have a go here and see what develops. There a couple dynamics at play here that are directly attributable to human nature, and some folk have a tendency to conflate them with atheism. There are a percentage of people who "follow" [mimic/repeat] others because they bolster their own internal biases when they are more articulate [or knowledgeable] than themselves. This happen across the entire sociological/ideological spectrums, not just atheism. It is a HUMAN BEHAVIOR, not christianity, democracy, atheism, socialism, or any of the other "ity's" or "isms". Celebrities are often idealized by virtue of their personal successes, again not always directly attributable to [in this instance] atheism. Idealized people frequently believe their own press and become a caricatures of themselves, or divas, or assholes, as you frame it. Then the inevitable blowback occurs from people who are put off by personality or behavior and say things like "So and so gives *atheism* a bad name". Atheism may be their opinion, but it doesn't explain the persona they adopt or the unrelated views they hold. One is not the other, or even the CAUSE of the other. Atheism is the term used to describe one thing. Doubt in the existence of god[s]. It shouldn't be expected to provide explanations of the universe or the vagaries of human social groupings.
As for Libertarians in atheism; I've been an apostate for going on 60 years and when CJ wrote that article, it was the first I had heard of such a thing. Perhaps I don't get out enough, or I'm in my dotage, IDK. Since then I have had interaction with self described libertarian atheists, but I can't seem to pin down how large a demographic they are. It doesn't seem to be as large as Werleman or you assert. If I were to accurately describe them I would say they were libertarians who also happen to be atheists. I am an atheist who holds liberal socialistic views. I can easily be one or the other. Those who disagree with my political views could say I give atheism a bad name. The bottom line is, atheism is what I accept to be true for myself and it doesn't involve anyone else, nor should it reflect poorly on me as a person. If I'm an asshole, on the other hand, it's probably because I have a character defect.

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