They are so brain washed you can't convince them of anything different then what they believe as absolute truth. For them to find out it's all a lie, all these religious people fall in a deep depression or would die soon after with the feeling of no reason to live.

Reading all these comments about your frustrations reinforces advice I have heard from Peter Boghossian and others that a great tactic is to ask questions which force critical thought on their part so that seeds of doubt are planted. You let them do the heavy lifting and simply nudge the conversation along with questions you already know the answer to.

That’s why I live in the country. My donkeys don’t care one way or the other. I avoid religious people as much as possible which is hard to do in Okieland.

She could get those same "feelings" by going to a Jimmy Buffet concert. Plus I would guarantee those feelings would be better validated at the concert...Parrot Heads are a cool bunch of people.

Tell her to tally-up the number of times she sees in the news where an Atheist or a Preacher commits a crime. Preachers are among the worst.

One major problem with morality in the Abrahamic Faiths is that they ask for forgiveness from someone who was not involved (god), instead of the one who was injured. Atheists realize that only the person you act badly towards can forgive you, and they will not likely be too eager to do so.

When she says you don't believe in anything - let her know you believe in mankind, and the laws of nature.

It is exhausting to be repeatedly required to defend who/what we are, even though it may be legal, moral, and upright to most people. Those "christians" who see atheists as lost souls also see Islamics, Hindus, Sikhs, and any other religion in the same light. We can only keep doing what we are doing: enlightening where we can.

That is what I hear so many say how, it makes them feel. So then it is an emotion, many out there need to learn how to control that emotion and stop babbling it across the preverbal sanity table.

Wow AustinSkepticus you and i sound like we have carbon copy experiences with religious family members, i feel very similar to how you feel on religion topics, personally any organized religion to me is a turn off and is just filled with brainwashed hypocrisy, don't let it get to you, i understand its hard, but i generally go about the same way ,if ine wants to push it on me or down my throat, i usually deal with it in some form of sarcasm and truth that is about religion and religious people, and great point on those in jail

My mother's side of the family are religious Jews and their whole life revolves around the temple they go to.They know I am non-religious since I did a public denouncement at 16. I only see them when family dies and say happy bday on FB. They are conservative politically too.

I think people of a lower moral development are particularly drawn to religions, because they are looking for an outside source to keep them in check. In fact I've had two people pretty much tell me that. I'm not saying all religious people have lower moral development. However, it is based on a lower stage of moral development. "Behave or you will go to hell".

I get it. I have one aunt that I'm especially close to. She's a believer. She knows I'm
an atheist. I just let her go when she starts. I listen patiently, and wait until she's done.
I don't want to argue with her. I know what I know, and she believes what makes her
feel good. I love her too much to fight with her over something as trivial as what happens
in heaven. Anyone else? They do not get the same deference.