They do, however, have an excellent track record for heretic burnings, torture chambers, and kiddy fiddling.

Don't forget the holy wars lak. Plenty of holy wars in the annals of contemporary theism.

So it goes kinda like this...

First, apologists throw into the ring a fairly easy-to-understand, relatively standard model of what anyone would call "God".

Skeptics demonstrate that this definition entails certain things, but that our universe reflects anything but these things that we should clearly expect.

Second, apologists assert without grounds that our universe most certainly reflects that which is expected, because the skeptic's definition of God lacks sophistication and nuance.

Skeptics respond that the apologetic tendency to re-define God is merely an escape tactic, and that the evolving definition leads to numerous contradictions with the standard model in which people actually believe.

Absurdities are noticed.

Third, apologists complain that a sneer is not an argument, that skeptics lack understanding of theology, and that "atheists are arrogant".

Conclusion: Someone is reading from a script. I wonder who...

There are religious folk who don't believe the teaching of their religion are literlly true. The reason we don't address them is because they aren't an issue. Let them 'believe' for the meaningfulness they take from doing so all day long. They're not the ones trying to get creationism taught in public schools or discriminating against gay couples. It's the true believers who do that sort of thing, and that's who needs to be addressed. Why bother addressing a problem that isn't?

I suppose it depends on whether you think beliefs in themselves are a problem, or merely behavior.

I mean for my part yeah yeah cybernetic revolt, I want to see the intellect perfected but on a practical day-to-day level, religious normies who aren't evangelical or aggressive about it don't bother me, or if they do it's because of something other than their religiosity.

Pretty much. Couldn't care less what they get up to in church, or what kind of special underwear they prefer, as long as they leave me the fuck alone. Start knocking on my door early in the AM and I'll set the dogs on 'em.