It's true. I have modest dislike for all religious, some more than others, but I can accept it as having value as a tradition in certain aspects of society. The criticism atheists bring to religion is justified, however when it turns into hostile mockery it goes too far. If you think about it, basing your life on writings of 2000 y.o Jews or Arabs can result in such response from people who aren't fully in control of themselves. But painting all atheists with wide brush is wrong.
The problem in my opinion is that Atheism and Theology strive to supplant each other rather than coexist as a fuller understanding of the whole of creation and the human condition.
Atheism at its fundamental core strives to teach the underlying truths to reality. This happens for this reason. This evolved from this. These are the reasons this happens. etc...
Religion tries to give meaning and context to the mechanisms of creations.
I have no problem with the ideal of intelligent design in that the unique creation that is man was fashioned with a purpose but that there is also fundamental scientific truths that detail the environment in which that purpose will or won't fulfill itself.
For instance, we hear contantly that God has a plan for each of us. Well, having a plan and having a preordained outcome are two different things. We are told we have free will from which to choose a godly nature or not and that ultimately we will be judged on that choice. Being judged implies you have the option of making a correct or incorrect choice or there would be no need to choose.
If we are all given the right of choice, and if its a fair system, most of the variables need to be the same. Hence the laws by which creation are governed that science explains.
Gravity is same for everyone. Geology is the same for everyone. Evolution is the same for all of creation. However, we have been given the gift of introspection and the ability to look beyond our material nature and the material nature of the world around us and make choices that most of the animal and insect species can not. We can move beyond predator and prey. We can move beyond instincts.
God's plan is merely a test. We're given a road map that shows the start of the journey and the eventual end. There are certain proscriptions that are given to us much like speed limits that can either hinder or help us in our journey based on the choices we make. Does he want us to get there? Yep. But its our choice on the route and its not God's fault if we negligently forget to fill the gas tank or drive drunk or make choices that make the journey longer or fraught with peril and pain. As for all of the ailments that afflict mankind, those aren't judgements but merely part of the mechanism of the creation which is the road or roads he has provided.
Cancer is real. Does God give you cancer? Why would he? Or is cancer merely the result of lifestyle choices we make, bad genetics, environmental factors., etc...
God is supposed to be a spiritual being and ultimately judge our choices to decide the fate of our spirit. If the spirit is truly the only thing that is eternal, it would be only thing of real consequence so why would he particularly care about the physical outside of anything that might affect the spiritual.
I believe that God is in the main impartial. He provides creation and the rules where by it exists. Those rules are the same for all species and things. He has provided the tools, the environment and laid the foundation through guidelines where we should strive. Everything after that is merely a series of choices that interconnect us with all living things and our environment. How it affects us and how we affect it and how we deal with each other during it all is up to us. We will eventually physically die. Beyond that, is a result of the choices we have made.
If there is a spirit and the spirit never truly dies but the flesh that houses it does. Why would you want to share a utopia or even expect a utopia to remain if a person can't learn to live in harmony during the potential 100 to 120yrs he might expect to live.
If I were God and you couldn't hold your shit together for that relatively brief amount of time, I'm not sure I would want you around forever either. Forever is a mighty long time for you to continually fuck up with no guarantee that you'd learn the folly of your ways and change.