One of the points that seem to be overlooked here is that there are degrees of atheism as there are degrees of any theism. An atheist at the most extreme point of the continuum
doesn't believe in any deity. Again, it's the religionists that want to paint everything with an absolute brush. I never contended that organized religion was "evil" because that is a religious term coming from a Manichean view. I would say that it is dysfunctional to a healthy society.

Buddhism is a religion and there are some harmful parts as witnessed by Japan's Hirohito in WWII. One thing that can be said about religion in its totality that it is harmful. There are benign aspects to it such as one can find with tumors in the body.

Organized religion(s) vary in their toxicity. Atheism at its extreme point allows for no deity. The reason that atheists are often extreme is that they find themselves defending their position against intolerant religionists and hence you have the raison d'etre for the title of this thread. It is a reaction to the idea that religion is a delusion, (So's your old man) and makes little sense as a point of discussion.

It wasn't religion that gave rise to inspirational music and art. It was inspired musicians and artists who would have been inspired regardless of the limitations place on them by clerics, priests and preachers.