Well I have to disagree with how absolute and unwavering the presence of religion is in anyone's mind. I was a Christian just like most children bred in America from Sunday school to Highschool. I outgrew the need for religion and researched beyond that on my own journey uninfluenced and unhindered by the opinions and suggestions of others. It worked for me. I'm assuming it worked for you. Reason can prevail and morals can prevail where reason is lost on them. You can't go into this seeing them as the enemy. That's simply not the case. And you have to be clever enough to circumvent their initial trepidation. No one is born religious. It is taught. As such it can be "untaught". The light of reason is visible to all my friend. They may choose to roam blindfolded, however, this doesn't make them blind.

I think this is pretty self explanatory. I guess we rate each other here?

First person to make me feel like I'm not totally lost and in the wrong place wins.

So I'm new here and wanted to get some buzz goin. Here's something I think some of you guys might agree on me with. We all know that organized religion is always backwards, self contradicting, hypocritical nonsense and I'm sure we all are subjected to these annoyances daily. Something I like to keep up my sleeve is a simple moral quandary to get them (the religious) thinking.

Present a situation that would pit their morals against their faith (one always trumps the other even if they don't admit it). I have two favorites that I use.

1. If god told you to drop a bomb on your hometown would you do it.

Atheist or anti-theist answer: no that would make me a terrible jerk

Religious answer: misdirection and nervous squirming something something god loves you though, he knows best

If you found out tomorrow that god doesn't exist. Would anything change?

Atheist/anti-theist answer: nope

Religious answer: something something something read the bible something something more misdirection something something history, man-kind, only thing that makes sense blah blah blah (you're gonna have to work for the straight answer)

Don't let them distract you with the "they go hand in hand" because they don't. Genocides homicides infanticides patricides and countless other atrocities are evidence against this and the only evidence for it is the assumption that god is real and that's going to be a different discussion for a different time.

The goal is to first get them to admit that morals (and common sense) are more important to them than faith. Second for them to then admit that they don't need faith to have morals rendering that aspect of religion obsolete. Once the questions start they don't stop. When they get tired of looking to religion for the answers they will never get, they will look elsewhere and draw up their own (hopefully) logical conclusions based on (hopefully) legitimate information. It's never that smooth or easy but it's a useful first step! Maybe you'll make some new buddies. Don't count on it though people are sensitive. Remember. Baby steps.