It seems to me that Dawkins is attacking the invocation of God as a substitute for, and an excuse not to engage in, rational scientific inquiry and analysis. His crack about God's gift to Kansas was a sarcastic jibe at this mindset. I don't see anything in his screed that is anti religion, or anti God. I would classify the attitude you (accurately) describe in the first sentence as superstition, not religion. It reduces the transcendant God of true religion to the level of a primitive tribal sun/thunder/fertility/whatever god.