I ran across a nice little quote by Jason Rosenhouse which accurately sums up and combats a mischaracterization of the "atheist plot" that I seem to see now and then.

It is often said that atheists want to eliminate or get rid of religion. That is not really an accurate way of putting things, since it suggests a desire for some external force to come in and remove religion from society. What atheists really want is for people to become persuaded on their own that religion does not deserve the respect it so frequently given. If that were to happen, we argue, civilization would be a lot better for it.

It's often portrayed that atheism is some kind of political force which will seize the powers of the judiciary and enforce "enlightenment," when really, as Rosenhouse points out, is simply the spread of rationality.

I am a little hesitant, however, because many atheists seem to think that the rational mind will lead all to the same conclusion. However, it can only lead to the same conclusion in one area, and that is the demystification of fairy tales (especially the popular, dominant ones that seem to think they have a status above Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs), which actually are a lot simpler than social phenomenon. Rationality simply sets the stage for serious discussion on problems much more relevant, complex, and serious. A conversation I just saw echoes this sentiment, in which Bill Maher(youtube) was touted as a hero and a villain in a tug-of war over the topic of being anti-religious as well as against animal testing. Saerain makes the following poignant point:

'Trailer for Religulous' by Bill Maher - RichardDawkins.net

I don't understand why our allies in the fight against religious delusion should be in concord on other topics. Aren't we constantly telling theists how atheists agree only on the nonexistence of deities?

I'm voting for Barack Obama despite his theistic rhetoric. I consider myself a Liberal despite my irritation over most Liberals' opposition to nuclear energy. Like many of you, I relish Christopher Hitchens in debates despite disagreeing with him politically. You get the idea.

Exactly! Atheism simply stops you from wasting so much time arguing about the things that are simplistic and stupid and forces you to meet the challenges of actually living with 6.4 billion other people on the planet. The analogy for this whole conversational black whole is not put better than a certain Roger on PZ's blog, "would you enjoy a debate with a paranoid schizophrenic about how they really ARE out to get him?". Oh yes. Oh no.