Anyone who has been active in secular and atheist politics and campaigning knows about Nevilles - although they may know them by other names!

Neville Chamberlain was famously the British prime minister who returned from negotiations with Adolf Hitler in 1938, clutching an utterly worthless peace accord and proclaiming that he believed that this document would mean "peace in our time". Less than a year later, World War II started. Neville, meantime, whined "I cannot believe that there is anything more, or anything different, that I could have done"

That, unfortunately, is the mindset of a Neville. They just don't understand that Appeasement never works. ever. So... how does this apply to secular and atheist politics?

In any group there will always be one (or more!) little Nevilles who desperately try to turn the focus onto other Atheists, rather than confronting the religious. They think that we shouldn't offend the religious, that we should never use strong language to describe them, that we always have to work with the religious, rather than against them.

In exactly the way that the Germans laughed up their sleeves at poor old Neville, making all the right noises, then carrying right on what they were doing in the first place, the religious find this hilarious - they make all the right noises, promise to help, to look into things, to work together... until it comes to the punch.

The moderate mainline religions are part of the problem. They are not part of the solution.

Appeasement does not work. Ever.