I recently had a conversation with a friend about my atheism. In the spirit of helping her understand where I am coming from, I had asked if she believed in the gods of Ancient Greece, to which she replied, “Of course not; those are myths.”
When voicing her reasons why she did not believe in mythological gods, I explained that those are among the same reasons I do not believe in her god, nor any god.
I pointed her to this excellent article about critically analyzing religious beliefs. The author approaches the topic by suggesting that the reader look at his or her religion as if from the view of an outsider. It illustrates that view using mormonism and the catholic church as examples.
My goal was not to get my friend to refute her religion or her diety, but for her to understand why I do not believe in religion or diety. I was all “Hands Across America”, which helped her understand me, my point of view, and fostered some much appreciated mutual respect.
Here is the full article: This Is What Your Religion Looks Like to Me