Bill Maher hits it dead on when it comes to rationalism/atheism and religion. 
I thought he was fairly liberal but I didn’t realize we shared this viewpoint in common.
It feels good to have my thoughts vocalized in the public realm like this, but in truth, despite what you may think from what you read here on my blog (it’s easy to vent to a faceless website!), I don’t like either side to get bashed and I wish we could all pursue our spirituality on our own terms. But he does make one point that rings very true I think for most atheists. While we do want religious people to be able to explore and identify with religious beliefs that go beyond the rational realm of science and logic if they see fit, it is frustrating that such irrational belief is a de facto requirement for being in a position of responsibility in our society. When in truth, from a completely rational perspective, it should be those that have irrational sounding beliefs who try to run for office whose beliefs should be questioned more closely to see if they impact their ability to govern.