I treat people the way I want to be treated. I rarely have anyone ask me about religion, but if they do, I tell them I am atheist/pagan. If they ask me about it, I answer the question they ask. If they want to discuss it, I am fine with that. If they preach at me, or try to convert me, I tell them no thanks and walk away. I don't broach the subject. I would never try to convert anyone to my way of thinking, about religion. No need to be rude, manipulated, convert Christians, or be preached to.

A polite atheist is one that isn't speaking up.

I am courteous and polite. Being atheist has nothing to do with that. However, if religion is brought up, I simply say that I am an Atheist and I do not discuss religion. If that is not good enough, I end the conversation.

Why broach the subject at all? People have the right to believe as they like, whether or not you approve.

I avoid religious people who preach at me, and ignore anything to do with the subject.

Why by rude to people? Plenty of those on this forum already, but I block them.

By the way, this website has a bit of a learning curve, so here's some info, in case you need it.

For members who are open to dating, certain thumbnails and profiles have a heart symbol on them with a percentage. This identifies which members are open to dating, and the percent shows approximately how compatible others are with them.

You gain website points by answering all the profile questions and writing a bio, which also earns website points, and helps other members get to know you.

Commenting on posts and writing your own posts earns more points. At level two you can private message people, and at level eight you get an agnostic T-shirt.

If you want to date, the website uses profile algorithms to find member matches, so the more details one includes, the better the match.

Many people prefer to see a written profile talking about interests, hobbies, and backgrounds that can be quickly perused to find others with similar interests..

In case you didn't know yet, to find members near you, click on the "Browse" button at the top of the page, then on "Members," and enter your preferred search parameters.
Click on the "Discuss" button, then "Nearby" to find members near you also.
Or click on the "About" button at the top left of the page to find links to FAQ or the website tutorial.
Points are now being given to level 3+ members who chat. You can see chat rooms on the group main page or at [agnostic.com].

Sometimes I cuss like a sailor but I am really a very nice and kind person. When it comes to being a polite atheist I'm pretty much like David Silverman.

How does one go about being a polite human being? Answer that one and the rest will fall into place.

Personally, I don't have much interest in being polite. The Bible is an evil book and I treat it as such.

Whenever a conversation starts to feel like Team God vs Team Athiest I work to find common ground in topics that are not about the ultimate reality of existence.

Try talking to other atheist, agnostic, free thinkers and avoid the others where possible. I don't visit mental institutions seeking conversational partners so why converse with the believers unless absolutely necessary? They have a history of persecuting those of us who can think and refuse to buy into their madness.

when religion is not in the open

I have been an atheist since age 13, when I realized the Bible is just a book of stories written by men. When a jackass Christian pressures me, I am clear and direct.

Through online dating, two Christian men met me to try to convert me.

"Martin Luther said there are no atheists," one man said triumphantly, as if that settled the matter.

"I don't care what a Catholic monk said 400 or 500 years ago!" I replied and laughed.

"I'm leaving now," I said and stood up. "Thank you for lunch. Goodbye."

In my first post, I addressed this issue. Forty-eight people commented.

"How can you be a moral person and be an atheist?

i let them bring it up. those t-shirts can be awful tempting for them though.

I try to be a polite human being first; being a polite heathen and anti-theist just follows.