Let him come to you with questions. He has to find his way to being a non believer on his own.

As a Firebrand Atheist I would say to try to show him the faults of faith and how its natural for humans to feel this way.

Beyond that as a humanist I would say to help provide comfort and support to your friend.

Be gentle. This can be a traumatic time for someone. Learn about Socratic questioning. Asking questions is a good start.

Leave a trail of breadcrumbs.

I would feel the same. I am not particularly interested in converting anyone, but I am open to anyone who is curious.

I would say this.. if you value the truth, and you think what you believed was not true.. why SHOULD you be scared to follow the truth?

You did so well there. Let him come to you if he needs to.

I think every person who is religious doubts their faith at some point. Or at many points. It might lead them to seek deeper faith, or on the path to rejecting religion.

I never believed. There were times I tried, times I explored other paths, like Paganism. But deep down, I feel there’s no god/s.

I hope your friend realizes that faith is hollow.

I would express my view if asked, but would be more concerned with making the person feel better. I may have asked the same question you did.

Your approach with your friend is sound, IMO. The Socratic method you have taken is preferable to the "well let me tell you why that is" method. We are a question-answering species, and while we may never be able to fully answer many questions, to lose one's faith represents the logical conclusion of methodical and relentless inquiry.

The disciple Thomas was admonished for his open expression of the attitude of doubt. "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed," were Jesus' words. But when a believer is finally able to receive and embrace doubt and to question why things are (or even ought to be) as they are, they mark the commencement of their intellectual freedom. Your friend appears to have taken this step.

The void left by the loss of faith in one's religion (or perhaps even the loss of faith in faith itself) will need to be replaced with something, such as a greater tolerance and love of this world and its inhabitants, or a renewed curiosity in the universe. Hopefully you will be around to help him.

I would stand back and let them come to me. I would also be sure they knew that they could come to me to discuss their thoughts, feelings, etc. I wouldn't try to pick a path for them, only give them my ideas as solicited. And make sure they know that what I say are my musings, not some new "gospel."

I think your response was good. I personally would have added that I had been there (if he didn't know already) and that I'd be happy to answer any questions he had. You're right not to push.

You handled it the way I would’ve. You could push him away by coming on too strong. And you could say things you might regret if he later goes back to religion. I agree with letting him come to you / initiate these conversations.

I would say to look objectively at what is in front of you, and what is not. A loving god would not inflict or allowed to be inflicted upon the people he supposedly created a virus that becomes a pandemic. If a god created everything, and he loves us, why are there fleas, ticks and mosqitooooos too? Why is there poverty and hunger and greed and rape and ...? If a god touched your heart to make it start beating, then if a guy is raping a woman, why doesn't that god touch the rapist's heart and make it stop beating? Why doesn't that god just show the fuck up and help us? Because there isn't a god.

I would try to do the same as you.....my personal discipline and keeping my yapper shut would be a problem

Most likely your friend has not been "fellowshipping" or hanging out with other believers. Most believers have no resources in themselves (education, critical thinking skills, courage, etc.), so they fill in the blanks with belief and undergird those beliefs by immersing themselves, with other like-minded believers, into the fallacy.

"The fanatic is perpetually incomplete and insecure. He cannot generate self-assurance out of his individual resources - out of his rejected self - but finds it only by clinging passionately to whatever support he happens to embrace. This passionate attachment is the essence of his blind devotion and religiosity, and he sees in it the source of all virtue and strength - He easily sees himself as the supporter and defender of the holy cause to which he clings. And he is ready to sacrifice his life." - Eric Hoffer

"The fanatic is not really a stickler to principle. He embraces a cause not primarily because of its justness or holiness but because of his desperate need for something to hold onto." - Eric Hoffer

"Religion is not a matter of God, church, holy cause, etc. These are but accessories. The source of religious preoccupation is in the self, or rather the rejection of the self. Dedication is the obverse side of self-rejection. Man alone is a religious animal because, as Montaigne points out, "it is a malady confined to man, and not seen in any other creature, to hate and despise ourselves.." - Eric Hoffer

Your friend reminds me of the Star Trek episode: The Return of the Archons.

I would simply ask him what it was that he had lost faith in. Sometimes it is best to let people find their own way but it never hurts to lay down some breadcrumbs so they don't go in the wrong direction. Losing faith is just giving up delusional thinking, to stand on your own without the imaginary prop of an imaginary friend in the sky. It's scary initially but it is far better to learn to fly solo than to have Jesus as your co-pilot because Jesus isn't there and never existed; don't hand the wheel over to Jesus or you'll find yourself in the ditch.

he knows you are a safe outlet. Just listen, ask and answer questions. He doesn't need more preaching to. He also knows you won't "out" him.

Let them work it out themselves unless they have questions . I guess I'm lucky , I never believed .

You can get some great info on YouTube. Check out Anthony Magnabasco's Street Epistomology.

I would encourage that friend to keep question his/her faith.

I would do the exact same thing you did, ask him the question as to why he is feeling the way he does.

I find it best not to push, because once I push then they can start to resist. My opinion on lack of belief, is the same as that on belief, the person has to come to it naturally and at their own pace. If they ask me questions as to why I don't believe, then I answer them honestly and openly - but I do everything in my power not to tell them why they shouldn't believe. I would rather plant the seed, and make them think, than to make them think I was just trying to sell them on being an atheist, like believers try to hard sell us on their religion.

I would be shocked as I have NO theist friends.

If that did happen, I would smile from ear to ear and welcome them to the Real World.

I have to ask you a question about your own beliefs and how they were acquired. Were you indoctrinated into the beliefs of your parents? Most people begin there. Then when they are introduced to different ways of reasoning as in scientific methods they may begin to question their beliefs. Perhaps in your friend's case, he has been questioning a long time and has become ready to discuss his misgivings with a like-minded friend such as yourself. Be careful.Tell him your thoughts without attempting to change his.

Open their mind to questioning faith. Introduce solace into a lack of heaven. Do not force it down their throat. Use humour, slip in some of the stupidity of religion.. talking snake, distributing apples as edible metaphors of freedom of speech and thought.
If god exists and the Jews are the chosen people, gods best, finest and so on, then why can't they eat food to meet their station... bacon!
Then Islam... what about Ramadam? Can't eat or drink during sun up. What about the Artic circle? Spring into summer and the sun doesn't go down, so they can't eat or drink! Answer that one god...