ALL the great religions have created a venerable tradition

   I recall taking a Philosophy of Religion course in the late 70s. It covered the core beliefs of ALL the world's great religions. From the point of view of culture and civilization ALL of them had created a venerable tradition . As a democratic Socialist myself I think it foolish to declare war on any of them. I find more malice in the New Atheism than in any long existing Islamic sect.
I find it very significant that a gifted Jewish psychiatrist named Viktor Frankl could survive a Nazi concentration with his faith in God unshaken. In " Man's Search for Meaning " he makes the observation that a person can always figure out HOW to live if and only if he or she has a WHY to live.
The New Atheists forget that religion gives MEANING to the lives of millions of human beings. I can understand how conservative Islam is appalled by the spiritual bankruptcy of our capitalist, consumerist, profane culture of narcissism.
Secular Socialism is also a HUMANIST faith. The New Atheists have given polite and respectful atheism ( the atheism of the French existentialist Albert Camus, for example, or the British philosopher Bertrand Russell ) of the past a hateful public image.
I can't imagine even Karl Marx writing a book titled " God Is Not Great ... How Religion Poisons Everything " . Christopher Hitchens wrote that book. The former Trotskyist died a drunken supporter of the Bush war on Iraq - and a pathological Islamophobe.
The Rev. John A. Kiley makes a good point here: even rude atheism can benefit from the Christian tradition.
Rev. John A. Kiley on secular insolence