They are bait in a very real sense, which is that I want to bait people like Ahmed to come out and talk to us about why they believe what they believe. It's obvious what I think, that's a no brainer. But I still want to hear from people who think different.
I can take a stab at explaining it for you right here, Martin. You seem to believe that your scientific-method-based, physical-evidence-based system of metaphysical beliefs is above and beyond reproach. All other systems of belief are inferior to the one you've adopted, because they're based upon lies and fail these tests.
This makes your belief system the one, true way. And as seemingly the negative or absence of spiritual beliefs, this makes it different from all the others -- making it exceptional, at least in the classic definition of the word, and therefore above and beyond the frailties of all those other pesky, fabricated religious beliefs.
Well, guess what? Scientific-method-based, physical-evidence-based systems are flawed, and they, too, require a leap of faith to become a believer. I'm told the earth is round (something the scientific world didn't believe for a while either), but I've never witnessed it from space. But I have faith in the people and evidence-based systems in place, so I believe it is round. Just as many of us put faith in our monetary system of currencies. And sometimes, as the world financial events of the past year can show, that faith can be misplaced. Newton's laws are still correct, but Relativity showed it's only under specific conditions.
So what do we have... a sense of a superior belief system, references to a code supporting that belief system, etc. Oddly enough, that could describe a radical mullah for all I know on the surface. Hasn't human history fallen for this trap before? And the insistence that other belief systems are false and that those who believe them are doing harm to themselves? I don't know if you've ever had a Jehovah's Witness come to your door, but they're not knocking on your door to deliver a pizza.
If you really want to put this specific thread to bed, I think you need to first ask this question of yourself: When is it OK for one religion to make fun of another religion? (I don't think I'm playing a new hand here in saying that I see atheism and agnosticism as just another flavor of religion.) For example, when is it OK for Nazi Christians to make fun of Jews?
I cross the line myself a lot more than most people are comfortable. But I will admit there's a line -- albeit with room on either side. That includes a line for making fun of atheists, btw. But comparing religious beliefs to drunk driving clearly isn't the right analogy to make, IMO.