I am a skeptic so I think most of them are here because they want to bring people (back) to Jesus, and bringing an atheist into the community of believers would be the big kahuna of conversion. And because most Christians have been so indoctrinated re: the superiority of their beliefs that they can't conceive of the possibility that a non-believer came to that conclusion rationally and doesn't need fixing. THAT drives me crazy so I tend to give evangelical types short shrift.

Religious people, for the most part, are paranoid and need to keep tabs on what they fear.

I think they are trolling for new fish. Remain open-minded though, perhaps they are searching for the truth.

They think they can change our minds to keep us from going to hell To save us from who knows what. Kinda like the bible thumpers that go door to door or sit and preach in the parks, etc. Some would be just a guess, they are curious.. wanting to learn or understand which would be a good thing.

They say they are just trying to understand our point of view, but in the end i think they hope to eventually form an argument to convert us.

I've actually had someone ask me why I abandoned my god. I also had to unfriend a real life friend because they just could not understand how I could have morals without being a Christian. As for here and not real life (most of my real life friends are Christians and respect my non-beliefs), I truly don't know. Maybe they want to see try and "save" us, or maybe they're just curious. As long as they don't try to convert me I don't care.

I would say some are honestly looking to change by looking for answers elsewhere other than where they usually get their information. I did say some.

They can make any excuses they like. I'm here to make atheist/agnostic friends and I would like to meet an atheist/agnostic man for a relationship. I came here to escape people with magical thinking and imaginary sky daddies.

It is almost certainly not the same reasons for everyone. Some are lurking trolls, some just trying to gain some respectul perspective on what "possesses" people like us to shun religion, and some, I must think (because I was questioning, myself, once upon a time) are starting to work through some cognitive dissonance about their faith paradigm and are intriguesd with what we have to say. To be fair, I have seen self-identified atheists who were more emotionally reactive than they were logical about their views.

In some cases, their intention is quite honorable. A couple weeks ago, a Christian joined our ranks because (1) she has an atheist neighbor who better exemplifies Christ's message than many of her fellow Christians and (2) she's observing - and appalled by - the prejudiced conduct of Christians against atheists that she's learning about here and elsewhere. I don't think she's likely to leave the faith, but she agrees with us that those Christians aren't behaving in a Christ-like fashion at all.

They know we have cookies!
Some maybe questioning, some maybe looking to convert us to their religion. My concern is they will troll people. If they are asking questions and respectful- trying to learn, no problem.

Maybe they are just curious, and will possibly end up being converted to thinking for themselves as well.

Two of them have tried to come on to me as if I were interested in dating them. I am on this site to keep clear of the likes of them. I find it offensive that they would impose themselves like that.

Hopefully, they are looking to remove their head from their...