well, I really do not think that the elephant in the room is belief or disbelief in a diety...   though that does get dragged into it by both sides.

using scientific method I have to base this conclusion on observation... my own personal observations.

My own college advisor was a wonderful person who encouraged his students to explore and seek answers. He taught ecology and used evolutionary theory as one of the tools to understand the natural world as it is today. He and his family also attended services at the local Unitarian church.

Trying to be a "good Catholic" as a school child, I tried to reconcile the Inquisition with the ideals taught by Christ... how could anyone imagine that torture and brutal execution was part of the teachings of Christ... yet there they were, cross and bible in hand burning heretics. Then there were the sad examples of the burning of witches...

We were taught about the mayrterdom of saints... what can we make of those murdered at the hands of Christians? Was this the work of the devil? Did I even believe in the devil? In my case the answer is no... I neither believe in a supreme being nor an eternal adversary.

So if you can have two individuals who accept evolutionary theory... one an atheist and the other a believer... then the conflict is not intrinsic to that issue.

I would say that it is only a small, but very vocal, group that are offended by the thought that they are not the sole reason for the existence of the universe. Call it pride or hubris, but it is their egos that can't abide the threat to their own self styled "godhood"... made in the image of god... follow the rules and you will be exhalted in heaven.

I was eleven years old when I came to the conclusion that if heaven existed and was filled with the hypocrites I observed around me, then hell probably attracted a better class of people. I decided that I was a good person and for anyone else to say I was going to hell because not agreeing with them made me a "bad" person was an example of the real evil in this world. The desire by humans to control other humans.

Older now, I see positive actions than improve our condition and negative actions that harm ourselves and others. No good ... no evil. I'm Ok with htat.