As opposed to the calm and respectful comments from the religious that are routinely to be found on articles discussing atheism, gay rights, secularism, etc.?

There is a massive double standard in play. Atheist speakers are labelled as extreme and fanatical just for politely and calmly answering when directly asked about their views, whereas religious agents seem to need to start actually detonating bombs before they get anywhere near the same treatment.

"I believe, based on my study of reality and history, that all human religion is both factually mistaken and ultimately harmful" is a much less offensive statement than "all non-believers are going to eternal torment, and it is right and just that this is so". The first statement creates scandal whenever anyone with any public profile says it; the second one is routinely delivered, in varying levels of explicitness, by religious figures around the world every day without a stir.