I would just share my journey and let them know what led me to stop believing. There are so many facts that disprove religious claims, but most people who have been indoctrinated their entire lives have been taught to ignore facts and simply have faith. By letting them know what caused you to leave, it doesn't sound so much like you're trying to convince them, but just having a conversation.

Use scientific method I did

"Our way of looking at things" is simply that we don't believe in supernatural gods, instead considering the idea of supernatural gods to be mythological stories.

Some, but not necessarily all, might instead choose to live ethical and moral lives in keeping with the norms of society, perhaps based on myriad stories and examples of virtues, heroism, doing the right things simply because it's the right thing to do and maybe judgment of our peers, not fear of judgment by a mythical figure sitting on a cloud or a devilish character in a furnace under the earth.

These figures and places are not real. They are parts of a story, meant to be taken in a literary sense, not literally.

I would suggest that you read the book "A Manual for Creating Atheists" by Peter Boghossian. It teaches you how to ask questions in a non-threatening way, that leads them to the conclusion on their own.

MANUAL FOR CREATING ATHEISTS by BOGHOSSIAN P (28-Dec-2013) Paperback [amazon.com]

Live your life god free and let them work it out on their own. My 8year old figured it out on her own after I introduced her to the many different gods, beliefs and mythology. Atheist think for themselves not told what to think.

Why bother? Why do you care? What does it matter if he or I or you are "enlightened" or not? And maybe enlightenment for you is something completely different for him. I'd mind my own business!

Thhere is no god

Sometimes the best solution is to fight fire with fire. tell them that you found a new religion. one based on humanistic and ethical principals.. My solution (church of natural wisdom) look it up.

what i wonder about is: how could you have been a believer so late in life?

My idea would be to just take it slowly and gently with them, whoever they are, let them ask the first questions, give a short and easily understandable reply/answer and just let it flow on from there, it has worked well for me over the many years I have been an Atheist.
Plus, try to gently explain to them that as Atheists we do NOT a Universal Doctrine/Dogma/Tenet, we do think for ourselves and not follow rules 'written in stone' as do the Believers in this world.

The good news about not having a religion is that we don't have a dogma to impress on others. The bad news is that it kind of makes us a little bit nebulous. Answer questions as honestly as you can, and never be afraid to admit when you don't know the answer to something. After all, your friend might be sick of people who constantly claim to have all the answers. I wish you luck!

Former Christian myself I did my own studies as a Christian and didn't always just follow with what was preached. I can only speak from a former Christian view point not any other so called religion.

My studies of original meanings and intents of original writings of biblical text has a lot of difference from what is written compared to what is modern day concepts. As to any other religious related text or belief systems I could not speak of or explain anything.

In short with out going into a deep, complex study and explination, if modern christianity understood even just the slightest of the translation and modern conceptual differences they would most likely leave christianity. By original understanding Jesus would be an "elihom" a superhuman angel lucipher the devil that could only do as what was written in old testiment as prophesied. (Fulfilled the law and prophets). People that are European invador "America " patriotic does not like the ideal of biblical text prophecy comming to pass with the establishment of the mark of the beast-666 began by requiring birth certificate, social security card and photo identification. Understanding the biblical metaphor of identification for taxation and government control is not always easy for people to understand.

Best thing to do is to let them remove their own blinders. You can’t help them. That’s the beauty of being of atheism. Atheism doesn’t need proselytizing. You can suggest a book by Richard Dawkins like The God Delusion. But if they really want to open their eyes, they will do it on their own.

I would like to second one of @genessa ‘s points, “WE” don’t have a way of looking at things. We simply all lack a belief in a god. The path to stop believing in something is to ask questions about it. That’s all. If they express an interest in it either ask them questions or ask them what questions they have. Unless some of us are under the spell of a charismatic cult leader we all got here by asking questions.

I am going to say that to ask about "our" way of thinking is a misnomer and does atheists and agnostics a disservice. Each of us on this site have gone through our own personal journey and yet have somehow arrived at the generally same conclusion. I do not belong to an organized religion that would have "our" own way of thinking. Likewise, I do not belong to atheism that would have "our" own way of thinking. I do not like the implication of group think. I have learned to think and reason for myself. I look at things through "my" way of thinking. Never stop questioning and never stop learning.

If they wanted to begin the journey to enlightenment, I would say being evidence-based is more reliable than being faith-based. Faith is what children use to believe Santa Claus exists.

Actually, everyone believes in evidence. That's what we use in our courts of law - not faith. Evidence is what we use in the science that helped us to discover all our technology. When it comes to religion, why push all that rational thinking aside in favor of blind faith?

Don't unless specifically asked to, contrary to what brainwashed people do, we don't proselytize.

Questions that make them THINK are so much better than explanations if any kind! For example, why does (your) gawd allow.... ?(their biggest fear or most upsetting thing, like starvation, child abuse, et etc etc.)

hi and welcome. you have realized there are no gods and that's a good thing! i would like to remind you, gently, that there is no single atheist way of looking at things, since atheism isn't a religion, but just the realization or belief that there are no gods. atheists have different ways of looking at things, and i mean different from each other. you are still searching for your own path and if we can help in any way, we will, but probably not by showing you the ropes, because there are no ropes!

if someone seems amenable to having their minds opened, i would base my explanation or help on what they believe at the moment. to some, asking about the inconsistencies in the bible is the way to go; to others, that would be useless. desmond morris' book the name ape might impress some and horrify others. you may have to feel this one out, or if you have someone in mind and can give some details about what they believe and what kind of people they are, maybe we can come up with some more specific ideas.

g