Why can't we accept it?

[Fidel_Castronaut]

Its not like someone tells you "Hey god exist" And you instantly believe them. In the end, when you're grown up or a teenager you can think for you're self if you believe in god or not.

What I'm trying to say if a religious person wants to change an Atheist point of view, just attacking them for what they believe in isn't going to work, same with religious people and let them come to their own conclusion.

Actually the above is exactly how many (most?) people fall into a religion; they're told as impressionable young children that a god exists and that people who don't believe in that god go to hell. I'm from the UK and went to a CofE state primary school. My first memory of the indoctrination process there was the teaching of Noah and the 'good news' of the story. I was told, subtly, almost through subliminal messaging, that the good guy (Noah) was saved whilst the baddies (everyone else, including children, un born children mind!) were murdered and went to hell (though not in usual colorful language).

So I have to disagree. Without the indoctrination of children the overwhelming vast majority of belief systems, be they religious or anything else, would die out within generations.

Also, nobodies beliefs have to respected. If you or I want to take the piss out of someone's beliefs, then that's our right. Nobody's beliefs are sacrosanct, and none are beyond or above criticism and ridicule. That's the right of everyone who lives in a free society. It's also the thing that many religions try to suppress and outlaw.

Also, FWIW, religion in the UK is not harmless. It's very much still a driving force for the behaviors of very influential actors. Only the other day Dave 'look at my forehead' Cameron came out saying he wanted to infuse his government's policies with ideas derived from Christianity, and that the UK was a Christian nation (which is hogwash if you look at recent demographics of religion throughout the UK
). Minority religions are also increasingly growing in influence, notably Islam and minority Christian sects. And their influence can be seen throughout all levels of local and national government.

I'd love to live in a 'live and let live' world, because that would undoubtedly be a more peaceful one. But that's not the world we live in at the moment.