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Fundamental atheists...

Contradiction in terms. The only unifying property of atheists is the lack of belief in gods.

...claim religion is the universal problem...

Not even Hitchens claims that.

It's a religion...

While religion is incredibly poorly defined, I don't see how you can have a religion without any dogma or core belief.

The logical flaw is that religion isn't the cause of all human suffering.

So, your logical flaw right here is a strawman. Who claims religion is the cause of all human suffering? If I ever made such a claim, I'll gladly retract it, but please, show me where!

What's more, I know plenty of atheists, and I can't think of a single one which would make that claim you just suggested. Again, not even Hitchens, let alone Dawkins, Dennett, or Harris. None of the atheists I know personally would make that claim. Some of them agree that religion is a cause of suffering in the world, even that it's an exceptional cause -- and not all even agree on this -- but none would say it is the sole cause.

For what it's worth, I've also noticed that outspoken atheists tend to be assumed "fundamentalist", "extremist", or "militant", simply for expressing their lack of belief. Not for "evangelizing", not for picking fights -- many are offended simply that atheists exist.

Notice how few militant atheists attack Buddhism, Taoism, and even Judaism.

There's that word again. I don't think it means what you think it means.

For one, Buddhism and Taoism can both be atheistic -- neither require a belief in any gods. As for Judaism, note that many of the arguments against Christianity are also valid against Judaism and Islam. The Problem of Evil, for instance, is equally problematic for all Abrahamic religions unless they want to define God in a very, very strange way -- and it seems likely that any answer to that problem would apply equally to all Abrahamic religions as well.

Also, note that the major outspoken atheists are generally British or American, and in both countries, Christianity is the dominant religion. For my part, I live in America, where we not only have a majority of Christians, we also have a pretty sizable percentage of Creationists -- roughly 40% of Americans reject Evolution.

Islamic extremists from countries that aren't very advanced,

Islamic extremists also tend to blow people up, and they do so for explicitly religious reasons. So hell yes, if I can present a compelling argument that convinces a few of them to stop believing or at least not to blow themselves up, that's a Good Thing.

a Hindu caste system that doesn't even really exist anymore.

I don't tend to argue against that except in the company of followers of Transcendental Meditation -- the TM movement seems like it would very much like to bring the caste system back.

What I find especially humorous is that the parent used South Park in some of his citations. I guess he missed the Dawkins episode.

I have, in fact, seen every South Park episode. I found that one hilarious -- also another in which the majority of South Park become atheists at the same time as they find a way to eat by shoving food up their asses, and shit out their mouths -- the punchline being something like, "But when you become an atheist, a bunch of shit starts coming out of your mouth." Remember that?

Yes, I do have a sense of humor, and I am able to laugh at myself, unlike Isaac Hayes. Is that so surprising?

I also understand the difference between humor -- even pointed political humor directed against me -- and an actual argument. For example, "Praise Science!" If someone actually attempted to use that as an argument that atheism is a religion, yes, I'd laugh -- I'd laugh them out of the room!

What's funny is that you still use the word "militant" to describe someone who's asserting exactly, and no more than, what the opposition is. You didn't call OP a "militant Christian", did you?

Get some perspective.

I know a few people who are quietly atheist. Perhaps agnostic would be a better word, as they do not believe in God,

Nope, that's atheist, and the more people who use the term properly, the less often I'll have to answer "Prove to me God doesn't exist!" or worse, "Prove that atheism is true and correct!"

And then I have met many atheists who are zealots, or at least hobbyists, about it. Their disbelief is not a passive thing, but an active assertion, a passion, an argument they must make at every possible opportunity.

And yet, we should make a distinction here -- the disbelief itself is very much passive, and even in the most "militant" atheists will admit that, given sufficient evidence, they would believe. It is the consequences of that disbelief in light of such ubiquitous belief that leads to the "passion" you're talking about.

I have a passion for truth.

Robert Pirsig once observed that very few people run around screaming that the sun is going to rise tomorrow. Things we are deeply certain about generate very little in the way of zealotry.

This is largely because not only are we very sure of it, there isn't much argument about it. If there was a large community of people in the desert who were absolutely convinced the sun wouldn't rise tomorrow, and thus not concerned about finding shelter from the coming heat, then hell yes, I would be running around screaming that the sun would rise tomorrow to anyone who would listen.

Yeah, I'm an atheist but atheism is developing its own dogmatism

As an atheist and a skeptic, I have to ask, what's your evidence for that?

In fact, atheism, by definition, cannot be a dogma. You're an example of this -- atheists can't even all agree on what to call themselves, though the word itself is simple and unambiguous.

getting in people's faces about their religion is as bad as when religious folks get in ours about our lack of belief.

The problem is, there's really no way to avoid getting in their faces. Many are offended that we even exist.

But let's get real -- we're not doing this. It's more like this. I have honestly never seen an atheist be militant in the sense that believers are every day.

If we show more respect for one another,maybe,just maybe most folks will chill.

I can respect you as a person, but I will ridicule your ridiculous ideas.

That goes for most people, but unfortunately, most people are incapable of seeing the difference.

Here's the funny part -- you probably agree with most of what I just said. In fact, you probably agree with the GP -- you agree that religion is a delusion, you just don't want to say it like that, because you don't want to offend people.

Yeah, I'm an atheist but atheism is developing its own dogmatism

As an atheist and a skeptic, I have to ask, what's your evidence for that?

In fact, atheism, by definition, cannot be a dogma. You're an example of this -- atheists can't even all agree on what to call themselves, though the word itself is simple and unambiguous.

getting in people's faces about their religion is as bad as when religious folks get in ours about our lack of belief.

The problem is, there's really no way to avoid getting in their faces. Many are offended that we even exist.

But let's get real -- we're not doing this. It's more like this. I have honestly never seen an atheist be militant in the sense that believers are every day.

If we show more respect for one another,maybe,just maybe most folks will chill.

I can respect you as a person, but I will ridicule your ridiculous ideas.

That goes for most people, but unfortunately, most people are incapable of seeing the difference.

Here's the funny part -- you probably agree with most of what I just said. In fact, you probably agree with the GP -- you agree that religion is a delusion, you just don't want to say it like that, because you don't want to offend people.

Yeah, I'm an atheist but atheism is developing its own dogmatism

As an atheist and a skeptic, I have to ask, what's your evidence for that?

In fact, atheism, by definition, cannot be a dogma. You're an example of this -- atheists can't even all agree on what to call themselves, though the word itself is simple and unambiguous.

getting in people's faces about their religion is as bad as when religious folks get in ours about our lack of belief.

The problem is, there's really no way to avoid getting in their faces. Many are offended that we even exist.

But let's get real -- we're not doing this. It's more like this. I have honestly never seen an atheist be militant in the sense that believers are every day.

If we show more respect for one another,maybe,just maybe most folks will chill.

I can respect you as a person, but I will ridicule your ridiculous ideas.

That goes for most people, but unfortunately, most people are incapable of seeing the difference.

Here's the funny part -- you probably agree with most of what I just said. In fact, you probably agree with the GP -- you agree that religion is a delusion, you just don't want to say it like that, because you don't want to offend people.

Yeah, I'm an atheist but atheism is developing its own dogmatism

As an atheist and a skeptic, I have to ask, what's your evidence for that?

In fact, atheism, by definition, cannot be a dogma. You're an example of this -- atheists can't even all agree on what to call themselves, though the word itself is simple and unambiguous.

getting in people's faces about their religion is as bad as when religious folks get in ours about our lack of belief.

The problem is, there's really no way to avoid getting in their faces. Many are offended that we even exist.

But let's get real -- we're not doing this. It's more like this. I have honestly never seen an atheist be militant in the sense that believers are every day.

If we show more respect for one another,maybe,just maybe most folks will chill.

I can respect you as a person, but I will ridicule your ridiculous ideas.

That goes for most people, but unfortunately, most people are incapable of seeing the difference.

Here's the funny part -- you probably agree with most of what I just said. In fact, you probably agree with the GP -- you agree that religion is a delusion, you just don't want to say it like that, because you don't want to offend people.

Yeah, I'm an atheist but atheism is developing its own dogmatism

As an atheist and a skeptic, I have to ask, what's your evidence for that?

In fact, atheism, by definition, cannot be a dogma. You're an example of this -- atheists can't even all agree on what to call themselves, though the word itself is simple and unambiguous.

getting in people's faces about their religion is as bad as when religious folks get in ours about our lack of belief.

The problem is, there's really no way to avoid getting in their faces. Many are offended that we even exist.

But let's get real -- we're not doing this. It's more like this. I have honestly never seen an atheist be militant in the sense that believers are every day.

If we show more respect for one another,maybe,just maybe most folks will chill.

I can respect you as a person, but I will ridicule your ridiculous ideas.

That goes for most people, but unfortunately, most people are incapable of seeing the difference.

Here's the funny part -- you probably agree with most of what I just said. In fact, you probably agree with the GP -- you agree that religion is a delusion, you just don't want to say it like that, because you don't want to offend people.