Im vocal about my atheism. If they insult or berate me, I do it right back. I stopped "playing nice" a long time ago.

You cannot reason with a zealot. Nothing you can say will convince them that you want to be left alone and Anything you say can and will be used against you. I have come to this conclusion, do not engage with anything than hidden mimicry. I am simply a parrot to what they say. I don't have to waste time engaging with them because obvioulsy I am doing the good work, in their eyes, and since I have no care what they think of me as I will probably never see them again, I lay it on thick. I never give them a chance to do anything but mumble amen, lol. They are so easily molded to your will simply because they do not think or see beyond the surface. I get a chuckle, they feel like they did something, win win.

It depends: on the conditions, on my mood, on the person in front of me. If they’re someone who “thinks they know the bible,” well, I can’t help but engage. I’ve been studying that book for most of my life, so I know a thing or two about it, and I don’t mind correcting misinformation. If it’s an obnoxious person, then I’m more inclined to engage just because... well... obnoxious is MY thing.

But I know this: they don’t respond to reason, and I don’t try using reason. If they’re quoting the bible, I quote it back. When it comes to their beliefs, I gently mock them, or poke fun. I’m no Jon Stewart, but his is the best approach I’ve seen. After all, if this were a “reasonable” debate, we wouldn’t be having it.

No, I don't. I see no point in it.

I think you would be wasting your time confronting one of those zealots. I think ignoring them would be best. If religion comes up in casual conversation I may debate religion depending on the company. It often turns out that a religious person becomes angry with me. I am not sure why.

There's only one person that I occassionally have a chat with about faith. We got as far as her saying that god doesn't interfere, to which I said then doesn't that make him irrelevant? To which I got no answer!

I love to discuss ideas and logic, but if people get nasty or rude or loud - just point and laugh. Maybe start chanting 'religitard' or 'loony-bin' over and over.

That way I can have a conversation at whatever level they can intellectually manage. Lol

I often engage with theists about the lack of merit for their faith (belief without evidence) based belief system. In so doing, after weeks of debates, I have brought a few (small percentage) theists to their knees, (literally, one assumed the fetal position and another bend down and cowered like a dog when he saw me) I also brought tears to they eyes of a priest who realized his work was not truthful and was departmental to civilization. I also managed to De-converted a few bystanders in the process.

Sometimes for shits and giggles. I don't want to convert them but just enjoy the argument.

I used to, not any more...what is the point?

All I can say, “The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.” Bertrand Russel
[brainyquote.com]

It's a waste of time. Religion is based on "faith", which means they believe without evidence or rational. That, and some emotional connection. Perhaps Atheists should come up with an emotional appeal to what is actually are rational perspective.