I’m neither Christian nor Muslim, so I can’t answer the last bit of your question. However, I don’t think it’s just ‘your average American’ that mistrusts and despises atheists– it extends beyond that. To use the word ‘suspicion’, in many instances, understates the reaction of the religious when confronted with atheism. Here in the UK, as in the US, atheists are often viewed, not simply with suspicion, but with hatred. Why? I can only assume it’s because the argument against religion is unassailable and therefore those who feel compelled to defend their God despite the evidence against him, or feel that the status quo is in danger of collapse – or, more often, who don’t like truth and rationality to get in the way of fantasy, deem atheism a threat – and one that religion is powerless to challenge. It’s the old story. When people have no intelligent defence against the message, they adopt a victim mentality and resort to attacking the messenger in whatever way they can – and if that means demonising him, or ridiculing him, or ostracising him, then that’s what they do. The psychology of the religious makes fascinating study. ;o)