Fingerprint - I rarely mock or ridicule peoples beliefs... but nor do I believe that we should automatically give those beliefs undue and undeserved respect.
It is also necessary to distinguish between an agnostic, an athiest and an antitheist... they are different, but often conflated, particularly the last two.
I for one want a true church/state separation... no bishops with automatic rights to sit in the House of Lords, Humanist thoughts of the day on Radio 4, faith based explanations of life, the universe and everything confined to Religious Education rather than the science curriculum, and a recognition that having a faith in a supernatural supreme being does not confer on the holder some sort of moral or spiritual high ground.
No true scientist could possibly state with absolute certainty that there is no God... but they are quite at liberty to say that the probability is so remote and unlikely as to place God in the same category as fairies at the bottom of the garden.
Dawkins, in his book the God Delusion, talks about different degrees of faith, or the lack of it. Paraphrasing, it goes like this
1. Strong Theiest 100% certainty of god
2.High probability, but short of 100%
3. Higher than 50%. Technically Agnostic, but leaning towards Theism
4.Exactly 50%. Impartial Agnosticism
5.Lower than 50%..... agnostic, leaning towards atheism
6.Very low probability, but short of zero. Atheist.
7.Strong Athiest. I know there is no God, with as much conviction as a strong Theist knows there is a God.
I would put myself into Category 6 on this scale.
I only feel the need to adopt a crusading approach to religion when i see what in my opinion are bigoted or fanciful posts proselytising on behalf of theism, or ignoring or dismissing scientific fact.