In what ways are people who are vehemently anti-religion similar to homophobes?

[MonstrousMerryHenry]

I was pretending to sleep while earwigging someone's convo on the train the other day (what?? I didn't have a book with me, alright?! ) and heard them discussing what they termed 'religiophobia' - where people have a strong intolerance of religion. They linked it to other societal phobias such as homophobia, saying that they thought the people who had such feelings and thoughts about religion were masking their own fears, just as a homophobe is masking their own fears about homosexuality.

Thoughts, anyone?

Sounds a bit strange to me.

Can only assume the people you heard were religious people who felt that they were somehow discriminated against/constantly had to justify their beliefs.

not sure what you mean...i know anti -gay people are supposed to be latent homosexuals.... are anti-religious people really dying to be catholic or something...?

But you choose to be religious - you don't choose to be gay??

Depends on how you define 'Anti-religion'

I wish I could remember more about this conversation...should have recorded it on my mobile, eh?

No idea about their religious background, scarletlily, it sounded like a philosophical convo so you could assume either way - they could be agnostics who take issue with atheists, for example.

As for the choice issue - the way I understand it I think that's a separate point; they were discussing the behaviours and thoughts of 'anti-religious' people rather than the origins of religion and homosexuality.

DuellingFANgo - yes, you're right, the definition is important. For e.g. I have a friend who takes a dogmatic black/ white view on just about every aspect of life, and is fiercely anti-religion, so much so that he refuses to even have a convo about it. I'd say he'd fit into their 'anti-religious' construct - incidentally he is definitely a 'masker' in many aspects of life so possibly with regard to religion as well.