Part of the question raised by this thread is, essentially, "Why do so many atheists display not just interest or concern about religion and the religious, but an undertone (at least) of hostility to religion and the religious?"

Having spent some time in examining my own attitudes and those of certain other atheists about that question, I believe a good part of the answer is "reciprocation".

I discovered early in life that many, many religious bodies and religious persons are hostile toward anyone they can characterize (correctly or incorrectly) as atheists; and conversely, that anyone who expresses "wrong" concepts is, ipso facto, to be so characterized as that hated enemy, an atheist, even though those concepts do not exclusively pertain to atheism.

So, reciprocate: Since you threaten or attack me, on specious grounds, I'll tend to hate or attack you. Or at least see you as ridiculous.

q.e.d.

None of which, of course, deals with the actual subject at issue.

Dave Oesterreich