Melanie has raised a lot of discussion about Dems (esp. secular ones) and their difficulties with the religious. I think all secular people recognize the need for morality and ideals. I think most secular people respect spirituality. I thnk many secular people admire and even follow Christian principles - even if they don't believe in the divinity of Christ. Most secularists understand the need to form a framework to deal with the unknowable.
I think there are two religious points of view that are a big problem. One is the belief in an active, personal God - one that answers prayers and intervenes in the natural world. This appears to be delusional to secularists. Worse than delusional, it seems to negate much of then need individual responsiblity. Problems are solved by prayer and the intervention of a higher power rather than by personal initiative and good judgement. When taken to any extreme level, this seems like mental illness - and very dangerous in a leader. Gen. Boykin is an example of this - secularists do not resent his faith, they fear his distorted view of reality and his willingness to act on it. I could not be under his command!
The other problem is absolutism. Any educated person realizes that the world view of humans has changed and generally evolved over time. Individuals also hopefully grow in understanding throughout their lives. The fundamentalists I know are sadly frozen in time, and avoid all contact with new information that might teach them something new outside their belief system. They are sure their point of view is right - everyone else is damned. This is sad, but not necessarily dangerous. The only time people in this state are problematic is when they are in a position to impose their beliefs on others.
How do theologians see these two belief phenomena? Again, secularists see these as something akin to mental illness.