Many people are hesitant to identify as atheists because of the social stigma they may face, making it hard to pinpoint connections and differences among this group.
@ChunkMcHorkle@Lanky_Pomegranate530
35 years of faith must have been brutal mentally.
I'm Aussie so religion is not much of an issue here but I deal with it by separating the person from the faith if possible.
Belief is not a choice & I'm not convinced by biblical evidence. Feigning belief would not fool God if he exists.
My christian friends agree to disagree & we move on to other topics. I will not be the angry atheist they need me to be to reinforce their negative opinion of atheists.
You were a christian scholar? Mind if I ask what sort of things you were interested in, when you were researching? I'm always curious about what the real intellectual types are pondering in their beliefs or church history.