Michael Spinler: You seem to think I missed the point, but I really am baffled by you. If someone "reverts' to theism, so what? If they can live happily and contentedly and be a Christian or something else, so what? I may personally not be able to suspend disbelief enough to swallow the credo and belief system of Christians or other organized religions, but if someone is able to do that and live a good and productive life without hurting others, to pass through life with grace, why do you think we should interfere? To me, religion/lspirituality is personal. I think perhaps you should worry about yourself. In my opinion, the benign belief systems of others is none of your business.

I think there are far more serious issues today that should concern us rather than someone "reverting" to theism. How about the digusting political situation in the United States? The continuing assault on our environment, the pending loss of our freedoms. Please.

I found interesting that you commented that gods are man made. That is my favorite topic and subject for study.

Why should you need to defend what ever you believe in, whether its being a Christian, Muslim, Buddist, atheist or just on the fence? Don't nearly all religions/beliefs say love thy neighbour or do no harm. Just don't preach to me that I'm wrong and you're right and I'll respect that we don't agree but I won't hold it against you.

I don't think I missed the point. I am surprised to read that someone has fears that if they can't defend their deepest beliefs they might revert or be in danger of indoctrination to another belief system. No way. I am who I am. It is something I cannot change. My path might have been smoother at times if I could simply have accepted something that is to me unbelievable and false at all levels.

I know it’s mentioned around here a lot, but it’s not up to us to disprove them. We’re asserting nothing, they are. And if they begin to assert, it had better consist of far more than whipping out ‘their book.’

I don’t think anyone should be required to to justify their lack of belief. But people who HAVE a reason, even if they aren’t articulate about it, are probably more likely to stick with their (lack of) belief. I personally believe in reason, science, logic and evidence. My positive belief in those things tells me that there is no god. My ex, on the other hand, called himself an atheist because he didn’t believe in anything. But when life got hard and he wanted help from religious folks, he started going to church because it served his purpose.

There's nothing to defend. Literally! I see no point in being defensive about it or continually seeking reinforcement for it. It's the default position, and no one has yet offered up anything to move the burden of proof. Peer pressure to believe isn't going to make the Sky Daddy real.

No. Your beliefs are your own and my beliefs are my own. You are not my judge and I am not your judge. Freedom to believe is just that simple. If no one is being hurt in any way, then we have nothing to resolve between us. I don't need your support and you don't need mine. Remember the Desdirata: You do your thing and I do my thing. If we should meet in the process then that is beautiful.

Nope!

No.

I don't know... been thru a lot because I had lived a lot and nothing pulls me or push me to a concept of god or religion. I think that option was sealed off on my teens to last until I die. To me was not a phase of rebellion it was an enlightenment in shades of dark and still solid in me.

I'll tell you what I think. From my experience religionists, in the face of confident, thoughtful atheists, retreat and withdraw as fast as their theological legs can carry them. There are exceptions. But espousing religionists are a bit like a virus: they look for weakness and exploit it. They will try to spread it if they find a weakened or vulnerable host. Confronted by direct very forward non believers they usually know better and demure. A couple of up-front arguments and they have somewhere else they need to be. See that with door knocking evangelists if you tell them straight. Mention a bit of history, theology, or an opinion about religious practise, and the discussion doesn't last long. I repeat, they look for vulnerable people. The analogy of religion as a virus is quite apt, in my view.

I do think you should. Im a bit lacking myself, due to falling under number 1 in resserts comment, but ive got the basic stuff and honestly, if i need to defend myself past "i see no evidence for one and never have" i generally don't bother lol.

I think there are largely two groups of atheist origins: (1) those who never had a belief in God and subsequently never really thought about the reasons for and against belief, and (2) those who started out with religion and over time came to a position of non-theism. Most of the Christians who claim to have converted from atheism to Christianity belong to the first group, but often they weren't atheists in the sense most of us think of atheism. When you discuss it with them, what they usually mean by "atheist" is someone who never even thought about religion for most of their life. In the strictest sense they're not wrong, but I feel it's disingenuous to call it atheism when they never seriously considered the proposition — because that's what they're pitting their experience against, conflating the two types of atheistic perspectives. The second group is, by contrast, already highly knowledgeable of theistic claims, the arguments for faith, etc., and have thought hard about the validity of belief, coming to the conclusion that the lack of evidence makes belief in the proposition unjustified. There are, of course, exceptions to people in each group, with some never-religious folks studying the subject at great length, and some formerly religious folks never thinking about why their faith faded. But, that said, I think you're right that the more apathetic have less resolve and are much more likely to fall victim to theistic claims and logical fallacies used in their support.

I think most atheists won't be intimidated-especially on this site.

I have no particular desire to defend myself. I am simply what I am and I know I can't change the beliefs of religious evangelicals. I do my best to try to keep them from hurting me and others. I speak out, I march, I sign petitions and contribute money to try to hinder the horrible things they are trying to inflict upon us. I don't waste time defending my own "religious" beliefs, beliefs which I am entirely comfortable. They are mine and they are private [as is my sex life]. No one's business but my own.

I see no reason to defend my atheist/agnostic position in any way.

What do I need to Defend?
I exist and vote behind a black curtain
no matter what you perceive; you will never fully understand my heart.

I shouldn't have to.
I should be left alone in my own beliefs as I do to others and their beliefs.