Jehovah's Witnesses are just as scary to me as Scientologists, Moonies, and fundamentalists of any sect. While organized religion is bad enough, there is a cult-like mentality to these groups. (And Moonies, of course, are an actual cult - though I would say the same of the others as well.)

They were just trying to make the closest pattern-match they knew how to, and their list of known patterns likely did not include "atheist". In fact they were probably quite ignorant of atheism. Something you happened to say may have clicked with their knowledge of Islam, which, likely was itself defective. I would not draw much of a conclusion from this incident about yourself or how you present.

The ignorance of believers is at times amazing. I suspect that as you didn't come across as "Christian" they had no other box to put you in.

I'm often surprised that people who know how many different religions there are, don't realize that you don't have to believe in any.

I tell religious people that I don't believe in the same bullshit religions that they don't believe in and one more.

I think a lot of people are so well groomed by religion for generations and are quite fucked when they find a human who seems ok so presume they must believe in something so they Monica you with anything but a non-believer. GOD FORBID A HEATHEN and he seems ok. it makes them question themselves. it's just a theory.

I doubt the problem was on your end.

Lol! That is an odd leap! I wonder at what point in your conversations they came to the conculsion that your being a Muslim was the most reasonable explanation.