Now it's true, there are plenty of us who argue against faith, and what not, and why wouldn't we? It's a fair topic of discussion. However, as soon as the debate start..
many throw a fit and go. You can't question my beliefs! How dare you! It's my faith! It's beyond human understanding (funny, they claim to understand it, but claim that it is beyond sciences reach). You're intolerant if you don't let me believe whatever I want to believe!
Alas you see, we are not stopping anyone from believing in anything. We are simply arguing. We are talking and discussing, and we are debating. We are challenging the idea that faith is a virtue. Last I checked, belief without evidence is the most ridiculous concept I can even try to comprehend. It's irrational, and it just plain doesn't make sense..
When we buy food, we look for the label that shows us the nutrients and ingredients.
When we buy medicine, we make sure it has been tested.
When we invest money, we look at the company's credibility.
When we have faith, we do so blindy.
We have no inclination that would lead us to believe one thing over an other (in terms of deities). And in fact when there is no evidence of something, it's best not to believe in it.
But that's not the point here, The point is we atheists, many of whom are rationalists, are in fact very tolerant of faith. Just because we argue against the idea, does not mean we are attacking those who posses the idea. We don't go around gathering up theists and burning them at the stake. Nor do we go hunt witch-doctors and astrologers and gun them down (though ironically there are pro-lifers who go around gunning down doctors that abort).
We are for the most part quite gentle people who would never physically attack anyone for disagreeing with us. We may engage in debate, but since when has, "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" stopped applying. We won't be the ones hurling stones at our opponents, though we may hurl arguments, and try and know the idea that faith is a virtue of it's over-glorified pedestal. However the feeling is not mutual. There are plenty of faithful people (not all of them, and this is not to say that they are bad people, simply delusional, and consumed by indoctrination) who are willing to attack us physically (though it would make sense since there is no rational argument to justify faith). Just look at all the places around the world where people get killed for having a difference in opinion, then look at their levels of blind faith in something. The two are usually positively related.
So yeah. We are infact very tolerant, yes, many of us are against indoctrination, and would like to see religion's role severely diminished, and that people stop killing eachother over whose imaginary friend is cooler. We would like to see a world where reason trumps blind faith.
You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
