Religion is part of their make-up. It is their lens, and everything is viewed through that. So there's cognitive bias there. A second part is they think it allows them to create an equivalence between the two positions -> both require faith if both are religions, so it's a push. No - it isn't. As Bill Maher said, atheism is a religion like abstinence is a sex position.

Why can't atheists understand that religion isn't a rational thought and people who subscribe to it should not be assumed to be operating rationally?

Atheism, which even though is the lack of religion, is still a point of view on religion. Just as Christianity is its own point of view on religion or Islam is.

I know religious people like to go on atheist sites for debates. As annoying as they are, they keep us thinking in my view. Otherwise it would be an echo chamber.

There is no making sense of the insane. ....whatever they "believe" is the opposite of our lack of belief. ....their hairstyle is NOT OUR BALDNESS. ...IF an Atheist walks into a believer congregation and starts arguing how stupid they are THE CRIME IS TRESPASSING and harassment. .... but if believers make it inside www.agnostic.com and trolls us we are not allowed to jail the bastards

Insert philosophical debate, devil's advocacy, here... which likely would've looked like 'them'...