Probably a lot of people lose faith or question their face when some tragedy strikes close to home, and they can't figure out how a just god would allow it. This question may say a lot about the person asking it.
I don't wear my beliefs on my sleeve either. Most people abide by the cardinal rule of not discussing money, politics or religion with someone they don't know well. If it's someone I do know well, I'm all about asking them what could be better than a green, hospitable planet full of mystery to explore?

we based our life on common sense and reality religion and Gods or God came about because it is human nature to try to explain everything and also more intelligent people used religion to control the less intelligent people now have more and more people became educated we can use the scientific method to analyze everything and move us forward with technology and understanding of the physical world around us.

Personally i would not give them to much of your time, all of organizied religions love to lay the guilt trip on others who do not believe in their religion

I ask what happened to them that made them believe in god. Then when they respond, just keep using the Socratic method and breaking down each statement with another question to get them to start thinking critically. Take control of the conversation when this happens to you. But do it subtly. With a smile on your face.

Few ask but I often try to steer them to do just that. My tipping point was not a negative or bad thing but something I was doing that I thought was right. It involved charity which is not only endorsed by the religionists but most people, even here in this group. I was hit with a difficult choice, keep going and help a family in need or ?

At that exact time (1994 – UN conference in Cairo on population) a group (Zero Population Growth) entered my life and I got some answers and they were not easy. It was obvious that religion used charity as a way of gaining legitimacy. It was not obvious that many forms of charity exacerbate the problems and are thus immoral. One important part of the ‘Relief beyond Belief’ program is that there is no proselytizing. How many religious groups can say the same? Religion is about their own special interests. They could care less about any other life form that is not in their club.

I pretend to be offended and start off by saying: "How dare you suggest that I should believe in slavery like your god does, believe that the best way to deal with wayward children is to kill them, condone the shaming of women and the stoning of homosexuals ..." I usually get no response.

It's an annoying question people ask when they discover you're an atheist. I'm atheist cause I've read the bible and the things that happened don't quite add up to what a moral God would be, and also the lack of any evidence for him. Many people think something happened cause they see it as taboo a person could not believe in a God.

I tell them nothing happened. There is no god, so nothing could happen. If there were a god, something almost definitely would have happened.But when you're an imaginary god, the only things you can do stay trapped in other people's imaginations.

I was raised in religion. It was rather what things didn't ever happen... that and I always saw religious people saying how happy they were when you could tell they really weren't.

It is an offensive question. You started thinking and reasoning critically and self-examining. I like @funeralgirl s response, yeah, i got tired of nothing happening.

My anwers are (1) life happened, I read and learned a great deal and developed my own power of independent judgment.

I've gone through a lot of unpleasant situations specially if I don't have the absolut-ly true spirit in my hand. I've learned to keep my temper and give them a cordial and decent reply that will appeal to their senses . . . and try my best not to forget to never again get near their premises.

I’ve known several people who blamed god for a difficult or terrible event in their life. They might have lost their obedience to god but they didn’t quit believing in him. I read stories all the time of atheists who turn back to god. I just wonder if these people really know what an atheist is. If I’ve heard these stories then I’m sure such tales go around the religious community. So and so had something bad happen to him and stopped being a Christian but now he’s back. Not going to church does not an atheist make but that’s probably why these people ask the question.

what a weird question to be asked! you should say, I prayed and prayed and NOTHING happened LOL.