R -E - S - P - E - C - T: Who gets it and who decides?

[Jenny A]

Theists who understand that faith is not rational and is a choice to believe without evidence elicit more respect in me than theists who insist that their belief is rational.

Why is it that some people tacitly assume that atheism is the rational position and that theism is not? Isn’t that already a slightly disrespectful position from which to start a conversation?

Because it's not an assumption, tacit or otherwise. There is no real evidence of god. To believe without evidence is not rational. To assert there is evidence, is not a respectable position.