Believers, put yourself in my place.

[Thumpalumpacus]

The problem with this complaint of yours is that it is almost always a religionist of one ilk or another who is insisting that all atheists comport to his or her preconceived notion of atheism -- and the overwhelming majority of the time it is hard, D7 atheism -- when the fact is that there is a spectrum of views regarding the beliefs people hold.

That's kind of my point. There is a spectrum. The "simply disbelief" definition ignores that spectrum. It's a double-standard.

And this, in turn, is exactly my point: if you don't like being lumped in with others, why on Earth do you insist on practicing it? I'll take this attitude of yours as being earnest when you exemplify the behavior you ask to receive.

Physician, heal thyself.

As for the point about belief, I think we can all agree that belief is contingent upon consciousness, and that automatically excludes appeals to vegetables rocks etc.