If I were an Atheist

[Whateverist]

I admit treating atheists en bloc is a deliberate oversimplification. I did it to avoid having a separate section to address each type of atheist, of which your post introduces "hard skeptics" and so on. I'll allow it's doubtful whether a state of mind actively presses a claim, although it does rest on implicit assumptions the mind makes about the world. Yet what's wrong with making a claim? If atheism (as philosophy rather than mental state) indeed makes no claims, then it's not very interesting.

You're right.  Atheism as such isn't very interesting, except to those with an interest one way or the other in religion.  I actually find religion more interesting than atheism.  Religion has been around a hell of a long time and pretty much all over the globe in one form or another.  So I have an anthropological interest in it, if nothing else.

However atheism best describes my own failure to believe in any of it.  I do periodically turn myself inside out trying to find common ground with your lot.

Fortunately the uninterestingness of atheism doesn't extend to defacto atheists themselves.  You might be surprised to learn how many other dimensions a person might have other than religious.  I find us, on the whole, an interesting group and I'm beginning to suspect you do to.  From my occasional visit to Christian sites I can completely understand why you're here.  Taking you in is the only Christian charitable thing to do.

The other curious thing is that avoiding having your position scrutinized too closely helps you in a public debate.

You can mark down debates too as things which don't interest me.  It really isn't the case that I avoid taking a positive position against the existence of gods in order to avoid scrutiny.  The truth you seem not to want to face is that religion or theism simply isn't all that central in my life.  Nor do I think it should be.  You of course are free to disagree.