I just tell them I am an atheist. Not gonna sugar coat it!

I now many religious people, but I can't recall conversation coming up. Perhaps it's the urban west coast.

If they assume that I'm a believer, I will correct them, but I don't lead with "I'm an atheist!" before it comes up naturally. I won't participate in religious observations like prayer - and here in the Bible Belt, prayer happens with some regularity at many businesses and otherwise secular organizations.

Never be ashamed to be free-thinking, Thomas Jefferson was an atheist. I imagine more were also trying to limit the religious control that we were suffering in Europe. It is also worth remembering you are probably sat in a room with many atheists or at least many people who have lost faith (I hate saying that it implies blind faith is a good thing) in organised religion.
Being British I feel free to say I do not believe in the fanciful, but (and that is not me bragging we have our own problems) I would recommend outsmarting them. Don't jump straight in with it, talk about the cosmos, atoms, the vastness of time and space, get them to try to look clever about science (they will), then bring up the fact that given all of this does the fact there is a god (who looks like Thor) not seem daft?
Simply then say you struggle with the concept.
Or on the other hand just tell them, why should we live in a world where idiocy rules and we feel it is unfair to point out the emporer is in fact naked!
Don't worry what is the worst that can happen you don't have to speak to idiots again? Will you really miss them?

Start out with I'm not religious and work up to 'no god.' My Christian friends I like very much and am leery of telling them. Maybe I'll get caught on camera at a Skepticon or something. Let them react apart from me.

I found that it is enogh just to say..... I do not go to church!..... It says everything.... and I do not have a NEED to explain myself any further

I just tell them.

I don't unless I am asked, its no one else business, if they say something like 'oh thats a shame! I just walk away .

I tell them I'm Jewish. They feel sorry for me because I don't know Jesus. If I told them I'm an atheist, they would not come near me.

That depends on the circumstances and the setting. Most of the time I don't bother. However, if they are pushy, I am very clear that I reject their beliefs and they need to back off quickly because I won't be treated with disrespect or disdain. For example, I went to visit a patient in a nursing home and encountered their minister leaving the room. The asked about my "personal relationship with jesus" and were quite pushy. After patiently explaining that my relationship with jesus was none of their business, I finally asked them to pretend that they were actually professional and to shut up about my beliefs as they were crossing way too many personal and professional boundaries. If they continued I would be taking action to have them banned from speaking to any staff members.

If I am asked to attend a service or participate in prayer outside of supporting a patient, I simply say that I do not share their beliefs and I will not participate. I do have a practice at work, I am a hospice social worker, of pointing out that this is a secular organization and I won't allow them to make it anything else. Prayer in meetings is not acceptable as they can pray on their own time, not on mine. I am pleased that it is less of an issue than it used to be. I even managed to become friendly with the Southern Baptist who was our spiritual care person because he was wise enough to understand that he didn't have a strangle hold on truth.

I usually avoid religious discussions the way I avoid discussions about Harry Potter or any other work of fiction. If, however, I am dragged into a religious discussion, I inform them that the scriptures were written by a bunch of people with no Idea of how to store grain. This allowed hallucinatory fungus (ergot) to grow and make people see a lot of strange things like talking snakes, talking bushes that burn funny, haloes around heads, and angels. This usually gets them to change the subject

It's rare that I find it necessary to be part of a religious discussion. If necessary I just say, "I'm not religious." If someone wants to push my buttons, asking them to grow up usually works or there's an old saw, "Everyone has the right to find their own way to Hell."

Unless it comes into conversation or they try and convert me , I don't . It's nothing to do with them .

I fervently wish to go back just 20 years where people kept their business, political or religious, to themselves!

I just say I don't think we have much common ground, or at a push I'm a fallen Catholic lol

I live in the South. Only if they ask "do you believe in God" I tell them "no" and let them deal with it.

To their face. If they don't like it, they can go back to the Garden of Eden.

I don't. I listen to what they have to say and smile. Never do I agree with them or even try to get into a discussion about my beliefs or the lack thereof. It is a personal choice and frankly, none of their business. I'm not ashamed of being agnostic nor do I go around trying to convert or change peoples minds. Live and let live...to each his own...etc.

I just tell them that I am not a Christian. Strangers have no right to know what I believe but if I am put in a situation where I must discuss, I am honest. They either walk away or they don't.

Sexual pecadillos between adults are are none of my business, nor IMO anyone else! The 2 women you mention, history I have Never heard that version before, and who was fired, exactly, for "ordering her to the motel "????!
Plus they seem to both have made aplenty of money both during and since then. And I say this as one who absolutely believed Anita Hill from the get-go.

I have never used the word "Atheist" to describe myself. I usually tell people they don't want to know my beliefs, or I give them a copy of Small Gods, by Sir Terry Pratchett, and tell them it is basically summed up in there.

Boldy

If they ask, "secular" is my response. I don't want to dwell on it because it doesn't matter to me.

Bible belt here too over in Oklahoma. It usually depends on whether I feel like pissing them off or not but that's mostly because I like to argue. There's some major shock value involved when you tell someone you're an atheist minister.

yes! there isnt any simpler way!