Interesting thread. . .
A few random thoughts and a question:
I also believe that there is no seperate "soul" that lives on consciously after death. I can't remember who it was, but early in the thread another Christian summed up my beliefs on that pretty well.
I don't believe God has as much of an "issue" with atheists as He does with Christians who misrepresent Him. After all, most of the atheists I've met (including those I know well, such as my brother, and also those I don't know personally, such as my fellow posters here) are honestly unconvinced that there is sufficient evidence for the existance of God. If they don't see it, they don't see it, and I don't think you can fault that. Furthermore, the kind of God that most people who abandon faith once believed in is one horrific diety and certainly unworthy of any kind of worship or respect.
I'd be really interested in hearing the "conversion story" of someone who was once a believer who gave up their faith but who, up until the moment they lost their faith, thought of God as wonderful, loving, and close, and yet somehow lost faith anyway. So far it would seem that the God most people stop believing in isn't worth believing in anyway.
I can understand the humbrage taken by those who do not believe in God when Christians talk about what all those who do not "know God" are missing, but doesn't this "derision" cut both ways. Doesn't the atheist shake his/her head at the benighted, irrational belief systems of faith? Wouldn't the atheist argue that the believer is "missing" so much by holding on to primitive beliefs that don't stand up to the rigors of science, and being held to all kinds of "outmoded" beliefs because "God says so."
Which brings me to my question:
For those of you that are so offended by how the Christians on this thread defend their faith, would you care to describe what would be an appropriate way for us to talk about what we believe?
I'm not saying that there hasn't been the occasional arrogance, and self-righteousness among the Christian apologists on this thread, but then we all tend to cop that attitude from time to time (with a few notable exceptions). Hell, we all think we're right most of the time. But on the whole, I think that they've done a good job of keeping it civil and respectful.