I wonder to what extent it is actually Dawkins himself or some of his supposed supporters / allies who get up your nose? I sometimes think he suffers as did Marx who, I seem to recall, towards the end of his life declared "I am not a Marxist!" - clayto

Dawkins' main point seems to be that religious claims and opinions should be open to comment and criticism, just as in any other field of human experience. Given the extent to which religious ideas impact upon our lives, influencing public policy on a range of controversial subjects (contraception, abortion, stem-cells, homosexuality, foreign policy, free speech, etc.) it seems only prudent that we subject them to an appropriate degree of scrutiny. In this light, the comments of Dawkins and other prominent atheist writers do not seem unduly harsh in my opinion.