They might say the same for us, they wish to be left alone, this after voluntarily and deliberately taking society with non-believers they are trying to convince of the truth of their beliefs. I think most feel that the world might be better off if most everyone believed as, thus behaving as they do. Fortunately committed proselytizers are the minority in most groups.

Some Christians are not threatened by different or nonexistent beliefs in others. But most fundamentalists / evangelicals are different. They cannot separate their beliefs from their identity. Everything about their ideology says they must believe and practice their belief correctly or suffer terrible consequences. Everything in the teaching says they are, in themselves, incapable of making good decisions and so must uncritically and un-skeptically embrace the dogma at all times.

For this reason, they are deeply threatened by mere disagreement or difference. They tend to see it as an existential threat. Time and again, i've seen them describe difference as "persecution", "attack", "meanness" and other wildly inappropriate and exaggerated claims. What they want is to never hear a discouraging word or honest opinion, and certainly to never assume that any contrary opinion is considered or even understandable -- it is all "foolishness". That is what blasphemy and other taboos are (or, increasingly, were) about -- shutting down all discussion / communication / disagreement / skepticism and keeping the "belief bubble" intact.

So simple, so complete. I am with you on that. Fear and the need to control, the herd mentality, jealousy and greed. The story told over and over again. The bible is FULL of these stories, human nature. I try to point out the bottom line is LOVE, we are all the same and no one gets to be special. Man cooked up religion, 'god' if you think there is one had nothing to do with religion.

In my humble opinion, it really isn't about beliefs. The person doing it probably doesn't even recognize it because they're doing it at a subconscious level, but I believe the real reason they try to shove their beliefs down your throat is that they are attempting to dominate you or the one that they are engaging in this behavior with. Many of the churches brainwash this behavior into their followers under the guise of righteousness and religious duty. This makes the brainwashing so successful that they don't even realize that they are trying to dominate and exploit and control the person that they're directing it at. Probably at the root of all of that is a basic sense of insecurity. They aren't really comfortable with their beliefs or themselves and trying to draw others into their "cult" is a way that they find to help them feel better about themselves and to validate their belief system. People who don't base their life on unprovable belief systems tend to be much more secure in who they are and don't feel as compelled to proselytize others.

People do this in part to bolster their own beliefs. If they can convince another of their belief, it may help dispel their own doubts. Also, when kids are very young, their churches INCENT them to bring other kids to church with them. If they are successful they are given prizes, thus from a young age they are programmed to associate recruiting others with the pleasure of receiving a reward for recruiting.

Simply because they want to feel moral superiority. Humans are weird.

Near as I can figure, some really believe they are doing the work they are charged with by their God and church.

I've run across a few who seemed to be afraid that since there are so many other beliefs out there in the world that they might, maybe, could be wrong about where they have put all their time and faith. It seems in trying to push it on more people, get the numbers (majority rules after all) that maybe that would be enough evidence in their own mind and having so many believe would make them right after all. I don't quite understand that mentality though. To be religious or not is based in background, experience, what a person is raised in and how curious to learn other things or find proof or not. It's entirely personal. No matter what a person says or does, how much they might seem to comply, you cannot force a belief. They have to come to it on their own if they are going to at all, or it isn't an honest and true belief anyway.

I don't spend time trying to force my beliefs or lack there of on others but, I never mind spending time teach them to think for themselves and question what they are taught. Who knew sometimes it does take.

Strictly speaking to believe is to accept without evidence. You just believe it.
So I don't have any beliefs to impose on anyone. My background is science .. facts.
(I have moral stances of course, but I think can explain them in a rational way.)
The whole concept of belief is so, so dangerous. I don't need to give examples, it's all around us.

Yep.

It took me some time, and a lot of searching to get were I am on my search path. Identify as humanist, god-less pagan, and atheist. I don't feel the need to convince anyone of what they should believe. For religion, show up at the door, agree with what they preach, and you are one of them. A lot never did much work, but maybe if they can convince you that you should believe, then might be okay for them. Also think some churches preach to them about spreading the faith. Go out and be missionaries. I do care about what some religions believe, When they attack non-believer, and anyone who is different.

Thought control, based on the threat of annihilation, is a pillar of religion. Despite the fact that, in nature, no two of anything are identical, religion seeks unity of thought. Can any two persons believe the same exact thing about a deity they've never seen, heard, touched, tasted or smelled? Realizing that it is literally impossible to achieve this task, religion seeks the unanimity of acquiescence, generally predicated on an appeal to force (i.e., eternal damnation). Religion is one of the greatest promoters of hypocrisy, and can never successfully impose its dogmas and doctrines upon those who remain unswayed.

Yup. I agree.