Atheists aren't the threat to watch for 

I need to point out to Mr. Michael Southern that, while extreme views regarding God or the nonexistence of God have no place in governmental decision making (be it local, state, or federal), we are in much greater danger from fundamentalist Christian evangelicals in that regard than from any group of atheists (“We can’t let atheists go unchallenged,” July 19).

These are the “godly” folks in Congress who would take away the rights of women to make decisions regarding their own reproductive health, eliminate the possibility of gay and lesbian marriages, do away with all laws regarding environmental protection, and block any proposal of realistic universal health care. The more extreme factions of this group believe religious freedom only applies to them, and not to Buddhists, Moslems, Hindus, Taoists, Wiccans, Scientologists, Mormons, and the more tolerant and open-minded Christian denominations, as well as A.A. members, agnostics, and readers of vampire books, Harry Potter, or The Lord of the Rings. With them in charge, it would be a truly Orwellian society, with the stereotypical image of the longhaired, bearded Caucasian Jesus as a more holy version of Big Brother.

Look, I go to church every Sunday. My belief in God is the cornerstone of my personal spirituality and my recovery from alcoholism, but I truly believe that the Michelle Bachmans of this world pose a much larger threat to all of our freedoms than any one group of atheists.