I kind of agree there, Bill, but I'm not sure about the Hitchens et al. bit. It's very tempting to accuse someone who's just writing down his opinions, even as a polemic, of trying to convert others. I think Dawkins and Hitchens and co. are simply articulating their ideas in the brave new world of free speech. They are not mainstream so they stand out and appear to be preachifying, but I don't think that's accurate. Their aim is to get people to think for themselves instead of being told by religions how to think, to demand evidence and to be very sceptical of any notions put to them that are unsupported. I don't think they are trying to get people to become atheists. That's the odd thing about atheism. It doesn't have a mission to convert. Religions like to get their followers to see atheism as a terrible threat, but the real threat to religion lies not in atheism but in the growing ability of people to think for themselves.