You see, christians have this bizarre persecution complex. Not all christians, but most of the ones complaining like this. They see any question as an attack, and anyone who doubts their preferred myth as hateful servants of the devil (despite the fact that these people don't believe in the devil either). But when they attack anyone who doubts their faith, they don't perceive any moral problem with that. They literally don't see what they're doing. Look around just on YA, open your eyes and see your brethren not only attacking atheists, but Muslims, Pagans, even competing Christian sects!
Frequently, "christians" see attacks that aren't there, due to the aforementioned persecution complex. They also make unprovoked attacks on atheists, and don't notice this due to their lack of introspection. When any non-christian responds to such attacks, the response is perceived as another attack (and the self-proclaimed "christian" forgets his own actions that provoked that response).
We do not call you stupid or ignorant for your beliefs. We call you stupid or ignorant because you ACT stupid or ignorant.
Quite simply, you bring it on yourselves.
Why doesn't this happen with Jews, Muslims, or Buddhists? First of all, there are fewer of those groups in Western societies, and they tend to keep to themselves. There is no indication that Jews or Buddhists have any desire to hijack the US government for their own ends, nor for that matter any Muslims but the more extreme radicals. And even if these groups had such desires, they don't have the numbers to put their plans into action. The pseudo-christian right, however, has been trying for decades to codify their beliefs into law, sometimes with frightening success. Yet the same people who enjoy so many opportunities to abuse government power whine that they are being persecuted because their power is not absolute.
You believe that atheists hate christians, because you project your own hatred of the "other" onto them. Often, they are merely defending themselves from attacks by you and your brethren. Other times, they point out that you are acting like whiny children, ignoring obvious facts, or exhibiting other undesirable traits that you don't like to have pointed out. You do not perceive such hatred directed towards other religions because those other religions do not spend nearly as much time attacking atheists.
If you want respect, try showing a little respect. Coming right out of the gate accusing people you don't know of hating you without the slightest shred of evidence isn't very respectful. There's that lack of introspection again.
(above, I often use "you" in the collective sense. Maybe Ya'll should become more acceptable grammar, English needs a plural you to avoid confusion like this)
chief, it simply is NOT a fact that the USA was founded on christian principles. I'm sure you'll maintain that delusion until the day you die, no matter how much evidence contradicts it, but it just isn't true. Read the first damn thing about the founding fathers' religious beliefs. Many were deists, if not outright atheists. Read about Thomas Jefferson's denouncing of priests, and Thomas Paine's scathing dissection of the bible. Read the Treaty of Tripoli, which explicitly states that the US was NOT founded on the christian religion. The myth of a "christian nation" is just that, a myth. It's not true. How do you found a nation on christian principles without mentioning christianity EVEN ONCE in ANY of the founding documents? I've never seen any of your ilk even TRY to answer that.