wildcat concurs!

...as if having faith were a privilege-endowing virtue, as if it were noble to believe in unsupported claims and ancient superstitions. It is neither. Faith is a commitment to belief...

It is time to refuse to tip-toe around people who claim respect, consideration, special treatment, or any other kind of immunity, on the grounds that they have a religious faith, as if having faith were a privilege-endowing virtue, as if it were noble to believe in unsupported claims and ancient superstitions.

Ditto.

I would have to say it depends. The article studiously avoids specifics, so as far as on the ground practice goes, it could mean anything. It's ok to knock a yarmulke off somebody's head if they wear it in public?

The article makes the mistake of assuming that religion and other aspects of upbringing (some of the important things that make individuals individual) can be neatly separated out from "humanity."
I am an atheist, but my Protestant upbringing is embedded in my attitudes and the way I am. Who gets to choose where humanity ends and religious beliefs start? Where respect ends and disrespect begins?

Wow! We now live in a country that so politicly correct that we can't even tell the truth because it might offend somebody, but religions, mainly Christianity can be kicked ridiculed, and even lied about.
Their is proof all around us for beliefe in a reator God. Look at the human body, if you believe that can happen by mere chance or accident you have more faith than I.

I spilled some oil on my car port and had a battery setting their. the next morning I had a new Car formed from that!
Cool !

The article makes the mistake of assuming that religion ... can be neatly separated out from "humanity."
.... Who gets to choose where humanity ends and religious beliefs start?

This is a really important point. It's easy to make broad statements about how we should or shouldn't treat religions as a society, but when you come right down to it, defining and circumscribing what "religion" actually is -- where it begins and ends -- is much trickier than most people realize.

goodness!
that's quite a dialog.
it's all very simple. so many words...