Jack the Sailor, (HELLO SAILOR!) reckons there are many paths from atheism to atrocity.

Yeah, history shows that God botherers start the atrocity by pushing their superstition to be the only true superstition. (Crusades, Spanish Inquisition, Galileo's trial, Islamic fundamentalism, The Deep South of Dumbfuckistan, even the well meaning Salvation Army appear to have a military structure...)

Also, all this waffle about Dawkins being the high Priest of Atheism. Atheism means there is no High Priest, silly! Don't confuse commenting on religion as being commenting on Atheism by default. Atheism is what ever Wikipedia, OED etc want to call it, but as it is a zero state, not letting superstition get in the way of being rational, my atheism is different to yours, to his, to hers and especially to Richard's. Mine incidentally is...

Just that.

Nothing.

I both appreciate and respect religion as a moral compass for those who seek solace that way. No problem between consenting adults in private. Ranting on street corners, knocking on doors and asserting the right to influence government however... Tell your black hooded preachers to stop it. They are giving you a bad name.

And the rest of us either dismiss you or point and laugh. Which is sad because at the personal level, religion has something to offer those who accept it.