just be honest and tell them straight up

I say, "I'm an atheist." If anyone asks a reasonable question, I'll answer it as honestly as I can. If anyone decides it's a good idea to lecture me, I disabuse of them of that notion in short order. I won't be rude to you, if you aren't rude to me.

I usually don't bring it up until I have to because I am a small business owner, and I don't want to lose business. When it becomes uncomfortable, or if I am asked, I say I am Atheist.

I had one client try to give me a list of the 10 commandments one day. I said "no thanks". He was very puzzled. When I told him I am Atheist he started questioning me with very basic questions. "you mean you don't believe in god at all?" and so forth. It was interesting, but not offensive. I still have them as clients, and like them very much.

Anyone who judges you, or tries to make you feel uncomfortable, for being atheist is not worth having around. If they do this, they don't respect you.

I do not really talk about it a lot. If someone askes me I say "sorry I am not religious" and that's enough...it's not their business.
Things like "God bless you" or "I will pray for you" really make me feel uncomfortable.

Actually that's exactly what I say. "I'm an atheist." To Christian's and other religious folk, there is a shock value to hearing that admitted so openly. That and within a couple minuets they usually show how open or closed minded they can be.

I just avoid them like the plague

I am an open book to anyone who asks. I won’t just randomly tell someone anything about my life so if someone asks me point blank about my religious beliefs then I will let them know I’m an atheist. IMO there isn’t any better way of telling someone other than telling them.

I usually avoid the “religion” conversation, but I do tell people that I am an Agnostic, which usually confuses them, and I tell them I have seen no evidence to convince me that God is real.

I just answer honestly when asked a question with religious intentions.

I reckon the threats bounce off my skin as I smile invincibly.

Straight Up without Chaser.

. . . ah, my comment was accepted. Anyway, when I listen to my friend I get to the point that I'm almost angry with her for not accepting responsibility for the decisions she's made, deciding if the relationship she covets doesn't happen, it's because it's God's will. No, not really ! She plays a big part in how this new friendship could develop into something she'd like to be more permanent. No dates yet, not even coffee, but she asked him if he was a Christian. When he said he was agnostic, she didn't know what that was. Her reply, you mean you don't believe in God? I listened to her tale of woe, then told her I was an agnostic, probably closer to being an atheist, and she was shocked. You mean you don't believe in heaven? in hell? in the Holy Spirit? that Christ is the Son of God? and so on and on and on and on. She asked me why I was an agnostic, and I said it's taken me my entire life of reading and learning and experiencing to get to this point. That if you put ten agnostics in a room, you'd have 10 different stories. I actually got short-tempered with her because I had finally heard enough about what God had told her to say, what he wanted her to do, etc. so I said, "It makes me sad to see that you are giving away all your power. That's why God gave you a brain - so you could think for yourself. You''re supposedly made in his image and he wants you to think. Our one phone call was almost 2 hours long and I couldn't take it anymore. I'm tired of typing and thinking about it, but she is missing out on so much by not thinking for herself. She's my dearest friend, but she is not my problem.

I may actually have enough points to comment! This question really resonated with me because I have recently become immeshed in a complicated situation with a friend who has just re-discovered God. She is giving all her power to Him, claiming no power or responsibility for anything she says or does. It's all in God's hands and if He wants me to . . . iI's a long story that I don't want to get into if my comment isn't actually accepted. I'll pull a Great Orange One by ending this part of my comment with . . .

I would rather tell my family I was gay than tell them I'm an atheist. To be clear, I'm not gay; I just think my family would prefer I was.

I usually tell them that I am a secular humanist. Explaining that to them allows a gentler way to say that I am a non-believer. Discussion rather than confrontation often results.

Religion doesn't usually come up in conversation the first few times I speak to someone, basically because I don't want to hear about their beliefs (or that they were on the football team in high school, or how smart their rotten kids are, or the fact that they've had runny nose for the past eight years)... When someone asks me what religion I 'belong to', I always come right out and tell them that I'm an Atheist, and that it doesn't automatically make me a bad person any more than any other phrase used to describe me [brunette, myopic, blood donor, hockey player, dog lover, etc.]

I also live in the Bible belt , having my own business I just say I'm not religious . I don't want to chalenge their beliefs and I don't want them chalenging mine . I allowed my children to go to church with the and make up their own minds and they are agnostic and being adults now thank me for it . They've been told their going to hell as I have been and I just say there are a lot of good people that will be there . So my friends when this life is over I'll see you all in HELL ha ha ha ha ha...... ha ha ha ha

Any time someone brings up any kind of religion rhetoric. i'd say. ok prove it.

OK---Prove it!

Don't bother.
When people make their unsubstantiated and ridiculous assertions just tell them you don't believe them and ask for some evidence.
When they claim faith point out that all religions claim faith but they contradict each other. Faith is not a reliable path to truth.

Im curious what drives your urge to say it? I don't mean to disagree, just curious what's behind it.

When asked, I simply respond with, "I am atheist." Sometimes the subject will come up in a peripheral sense, such as a gathering that traditionally includes prayer. Since I decline to participate in prayer, some inevitably notice. I don't exactly wear my disbelief on my sleeve, nor do I make any effort to hide or downplay it. I'm accustomed to having it come up frequently because I am the only atheist (as far as I know) in my extended family. I have a niece, a brother-in-law, and a son-in-law who are ordained ministers.

Every situation is asking for a proper reaction. If asked I will answer, but if they don't ask they will have to figure out from the conversation. Most of my friends are religious and I am not hiding being an atheist. I like to be with intelligent people where any opinion or believe can be challenged in a civilized way. At one occasion I had a conversation with a Rabbi. I told him that I am an Atheist. His wife overheard the conversation and she told me, you can't be an atheist you have a Jewish soul. I didn't challenge her. I have no idea what a Jewish soul is.

I'm pretty upfront about my atheism. It may be off putting to some but I expect my lack of religion to be respected the same and they expect their religiosity to be respected.

No need to tell them until they ask. and If they ask then one must try to tell them in more moderate way with smiley face. Like if someone ask why you don't go to Church then answer is simple, sorry dude i am not Christian, I am atheist, if you like Church then it is Ok, your believe has nothing to do with our friendship. If he still remain friend then be friend, if it annoys him then he deserve to leave him alone