A better way to view atheists.

[freedomfromforum]

(partial quote)
Last week I was at a christian bible study (gaining recon) and someone there said something about Santa. I blurted out... "Oh you still believe in Santa too?" I think the atheist humor went right over their heads (No one there knows I'm an atheist).

What possessed you to go to a "bible study"? I understand in the closet people so if that is you, I certainly wont judge. But if you are not under such societal pressure, why would you?

My wife is a Christian and many of the people in the group are my friends. Not all of the Christians that attend this regular meeting are jerks like some others I know. I occasionally attend these meetings to keep tabs on what is filling my wife's head. I want to hear first hand arguments for their reasoning (or lack thereof), and I sometimes offer secular reasoning as a counter to their faith claims and so on. I am not in the closet and I have no interest in converting back to Christianity (nor any other religion). My interest in religion lies solely in the role of being a watchdog. I'll bark as loud as I can when I see trouble approaching my household, and if it dares to step onto my property I will tear it limb from limb. Plainly put, I go to maintain damage control, that, and the cookies are good and they're free