What the stupid bastards don't realize is that a religious vacuum will always get filled by something. A large part of the population longs for some sort of spirituality. If you push away a benevolent religion, you will *GET* a virulent one.
Militant Atheists are the stupidest creatures ever. The only religion that ever tolerated them was Christianity. Islam will either convert them, or kill them.
I was amazed the last time I visited Scotland...way back in 1982. Lots and lots of Churches, changed to dance halls and bingo halls, etc., because they no longer had a congregation to serve and maintain them. If that is indicative as to what is happening all over Europe it has been going on for over 30 years. Christianity is in the decline, and as you said, a religious vacuum has been created, rapidly being replaced now by something evil and violent.