Do atheists hate religion?

Q: Do atheists hate religion?

A: While some atheists hate some religions, and other atheists hate all religions, not all atheists hate all (or any) religions.

Among those atheists who hate at least some religions, the reasons given vary. Some object to the teaching of any religious beliefs as fact, when such beliefs are fundamentally subjective and untestable. Others object to the actions taken on behalf of religion in the past, believing that on balance religion is more of a force for evil than for good. Still others have had bad experiences with a specific religion in their personal past, and so harbor feelings of resentment or rage for its adherents.

Most atheists, however, view religion as a lactose intolerant person views milk -- that is, something other people enjoy but they can't quite figure out why. It doesn't bother them, any more than milk-drinkers bother the lactose-intolerant. It's just sort of foreign and thus something they don't really think about all that much. If theists enjoy their religion, and it doesn't lead them to discriminate against atheists or to suppress sound scientific thinking, well then that's fine: Just because I don't like milk doesn't mean I hate you for doing so. Drink up!