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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My initial encounters with atheists were all with people who were angry with organized religion or the God they claimed not to believe in. As an adult, I met some people who were cultural atheists since birth and they weren’t angry, just smarmy and self-righteous.[b] I keep waiting to meet in person the happy and tolerant-to-believers atheists that I read about online.[/b] I live in one of most diverse zip codes in a very well-educated county and am a hard core science fiction fan married to a STEM-doctorate so the problem isn’t that I live in a religious bubble. I’ve never preached at anyone whether they were a believer of a different faith or a non-believer so I’m not driving them away with my viewpoints.  In fact, many of the atheists I met expressed shock that I’m religious. [/quote]

I am guessing most such people self identify as agnostics, not atheists.    Affirmatively denying theism, as opposed to just "there is no evidence, and maybe there can't be any evidence" seems to involve either A. A really intense interest in technical philosophy - which few have   B. Being part of a larger ideology that affirms atheism, such as Marxism - but Marxism is pretty much moribound.   C.  Personal issues - often with represssive parents, etc. [/quote]

I think it appears less arrogant to religious people if you identify as agnostic; it's less divisive.

As a closeted atheist, I am tolerant of religious beliefs so I see no point in alienating people by being hardcore. I only have problems with certain aspects of organized religion which I won't get into here. I enjoy visiting churches and appreciating the  architecture and find historical religious figures fascinating. I love relics, stained glass, and hymns. If you need faith to make it through this life, as long as you aren't hurting others or pushing your agenda, so be it.

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I respect your choice, but wish you chose not to be closeted.  THere's nothing "hardcore"' in acknowledging that you don't believe in god and as long as people keep quiet about it, it does not allow others to see that atheists are ordinary people who simply don't believe in a deity.

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I see your point and I believe that it is now becoming on the whole a more ordinary stance, but my elderly parents would be heartbroken. I think it's the more moral choice not to cause them harm. As my sibling concurs, the simple act of attending church with them a few times is a meaningless thing for me, but the world to them. [/quote]

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