You have a point?
What a surprise.

I have no problem with people believing whatever silly thing they want to believe. I do get annoyed, however, and will often respond, when believers make ludicrous statements about non-believers, such as generalizing that we are all incapable of morality because we don't believe in God. That's just stupidity that deserves an answer.

And, the reason that I answer back is that I think that believers are often quite insensitive to believers in their midst. They feel quite comfortable shoving their beliefs down our throats, expecting all sorts of accomodations for them, when they are not willing to extend the same courtesy to others. I want believers to be aware that there are many non-believers, and I want to counter some of their more stupid contentions, for example that our society is going to hell in a handbasket without God. My kids and I do quite well without God, thank you very much. And, that's how we prefer it.

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I'll get nicer when you get smarter.

I agree that religionists are not motivated by science so such conversations are futile to that end...
But the arguments aren't about conversion.

The problem is that the political arm of extreme Christianity is making pseudo-scientific arguments to dupe the population into teaching their myths and pseudo-theories in science classes.
For the good of science... and its important place in the future of humanity... we need to debunk the pseudo-science as embodied by ID, if not for the spreaders of it then for the population they are trying to dupe... and the kids who will be learning in their schools.

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"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside

nope, you don't have to believe in them. But you can keep the door open if it is proven they exist. Atheists tend to dismiss everything, because it "has no basis"

Do you seriously entertain the notion that Santa Claus might exist? Really?

Which is better than dismissing something that has basis because it's uncomfortable.
Everyone dismisses something (actually most people dismiss most things). It's part of how our brains function.
But when it comes down to it... when what you dismiss actually does come to some importance, it does matter what you are dismissing.

That's why the problem is particularly important in science, which is often the key to our future. Dismissing a majorly backed up scientific theory due to the clash with a belief that has no basis... can really screw things up. The opposite is not true. Dismissing God does not hurt science in any way.

As for everyday personal life... there are few things less important than whether you dismiss religion or most scientific theories. I'd focus more on the conflicting reports about what you should be eating.

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"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside

All logical people "tend to dismiss" things that "have no Basis".

You can't prove I'm not God.. EITHER.
That doesn't put the Idea I am God on an equal footing with the Demonstrable things Atheists DO believe.
(or as in the Public Arena seek to put Creationism/ID on an equal footing with Demonstrable Evolution)

How many times will this Idiotic proposition get posted here?
Based on the Fallacious logic that you can't prove a negative.

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most atheists are just very skeptical agnostics. few ever say they are 100% certain there is no god. not even richard dawkins would claim this.

justsayn, yes, its kinda silly to argue science with people who reject it. but, occasionally (frequently), people who favor the bible arent actually familiar with the science theyre discussing so passionately, so they learn a little by debating, even though they may never concede a major point.

i find it more fun to debate bible thumpers from a theological perspective sometimes. a lot of the beliefs religious people hold are not necessarily supported by the bible.

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https://www.voteforchange.com/

You ask why an atheist like me even bothers with true believers? For me personally, I do it because I have a vested interest that those people have as little influence on making public policy as possible.

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"I think the deregulation was probably helpful to the growth of our economy."
-Sen. John McCain 09/22/2008