I make a distinction between "practical (or pragmatic) atheists" and an ideological atheist. The former professes a belief in God yet in his words, deeds and life in general he bahaves as if God does not exist.
The latter outwardly proclaims God does not exist. Sometimes the latter live exemplary, moral lives. Often they live the lives of Stalins, Lenins and Maos.
I think there are many of the former in the hierarchy, and few of the latter. Yet even a few of the latter, if they exist in higher ranks in the hierarchy, can do tremendous damage.
One note about activist atheists:
Activist Atheists cannot stand the thought or mention of God. They do all they can to banish His name and His image and His laws from all public places. They are literal iconoclasts, destroying the Image of God everywhere. Once they are successful with that they move on to try to destroy God in private places and then even in the minds of their subjects.
When they accomplish this, they realize the image of God STILL EXSISTS, to their rage and hatred.
For man is made in the image and likeness of God.
So atheists always and everywhere eventually devolve to the destruction of the innocent, for the last image of God is in the eyes of childlike innocence.
Atheism as the animating philosophy of the state ALWAYS murders its own innocent. It is the ultimate iconoclasm.