There is no reason to think that religion and theism will disappear any time soon, which means that godless atheists must remember to respect and tolerate religious differences between themselves and others as well as between adherents of various religions. Accepting the existence of these differences doesn't mean tolerating discrimination, bigotry, violence, or hatred, but it does mean not mistaking sincere — if mistaken — beliefs as an excuse for personal attack or bigotry themselves.
What does "respect for religious differences" mean, though? This is a very important question because "respect" seems to mean very different things for different people. Too often, religious believers will behave as though "respecting" one's religion and religious beliefs doesn't mean mere tolerance of a religion and acceptance of different religious opinions. Instead, they behave as though respect actually means deference to, if not some measure of admiration for, someone's religion — solely because the religion is important for this person.
It should be granted that a person's religion may be very important to them, even fundamental for the way they view the world, but this isn't enough to expect others to show admiration or deference towards their religion. Showing deference towards a religion means showing submission or courteous yielding towards a religion or a person's religious opinions and this certainly isn't what I mean to advocate here.
When I say that atheists should remember to respect religious differences, I'm talking about two particular ideas. First, I deliberately use the phrase "religious differences" rather than "religion" or "religious opinions." Religions and religious opinions don't merit automatic respect — they are ideas, not people, and must earn whatever respect they might receive.
The phrase "religious differences" describes the fact that people will differ and disagree about religious questions, that they will more often than not do so for what they perceive to be fair and honest reasons, and that these differences should not automatically separate us from one another. Respecting the differences you have with other people, whether they be religious or non-religious, means accepting that people will disagree with you, respecting their right to differ from you, and respecting that as human beings they are being honest even if mistaken.
But what do I mean by "respect"? As noted above, I certainly don't mean that you should defer to others' religious ideas and opinions — the ideas and opinions of godless atheists count just as much as those of religious believers. Respecting religious differences is not the same as respecting religion itself. Religious doctrines, beliefs, and claims should be subject to critical scrutiny, and even harsh criticism, whenever warranted.
By respect, I mean simply accepting that these differences exist and tolerating their continued existence. There's nothing wrong with wanting to change people's minds and seeking to educate them about atheism and godlessness, but becoming a godless missionary bent on proselytizing atheism wherever you go will not always be a good or useful idea. Respecting religious differences thus means that, sometimes, it's better to simply let such disagreements slide by and not make a big deal about them.
It's true that there are stupid and evil people out there, that many of these people are religious believers, and that many of them justify the stupid or evil things they do on the basis of their religions. It's a mistake, however, to simply assume that because a person accepts baseless religious doctrines, then they must be one of those stupid or evil people. We should respect religious differences because we should try to respect other human beings.
This may be especially important for atheists who are parents because their children will grow up and live in a world where most people are religious theists. The less they are able to respect the religious differences around them, the harder things will be both for themselves and the people they must have relationships with. It's difficult enough for adult atheists to maintain at least a little respect for religious differences, so it will take concerted effort to ensure that their children are able to do it.
