In North America it's television, the audio-visual media generally (computers, gameboys, Nintendos, cellphones, ipods, etc.), and mass consumerism that are the ruling opiates of the masses. ;-) Religion comes in way behind to those in its overall influence on people.

Then there's alcohol and caffiene and other drugs...also much bigger opiates affecting far more people than organized religion.

Then there's all the political and partisan BS that consumes people's attention and dominates "the news". More opiate for the masses.

And if someone can't see that, it's just because he doesn't want to...because he's so emotionally obsessed with reacting against religion that he can't stop focusing on it to the exclusion of all else...in which case he's become some kind of self-righteous fanatic.

Like a religious fanatic, only the exact opposite mode. ;-)

Such intolerant people are drawn instantly to these threads about religion like flies to shit because it gives them another chance to vent their hatred and their superiority complex. They seek the emotional satisfaction of attacking that which they despise.

As such, they deserve to deal with the very worst and most unreasonable of the religious fanatics who are their mirror-image. Wouldn't it be nice if they ALL went somewhere else to fight over their differences and left the rest of us in peace?