I agree, this is a common and major misunderstanding. It shows up in some statements that question the conviction of atheists, such as "there are no atheists i

I agree, this is a common and major misunderstanding. It shows up in some statements that question the conviction of atheists, such as "there are no atheists in fox holes". I remember curmudgeon-in-chief Christopher Hitchens wrote about a priest who said "at the end of your life, I'll be taking your confession" and saying he wondered why the priest thought this was such a good point. Well, it is a good point if you think atheism is about honesty rather than reaching a conclusion based on reason and evidence. I've heard atheists admit that under the extreme pressure and terror of a fox hole or impending death bed, they probably wouldn't maintain the rationality and focus on evidence that guided their reasoning in a calmer, less terrifying situation. To some religious believers, this is about honesty and arrogance, and when the chips are down, the humbling truth behind so-called atheism emerges. If you see it this way, it really isn't that hard to understand why they don't like atheists much - atheists appear smug and insincere. To some atheists, it's a sober, rational conclusion (maybe one they aren't especially happy to be reaching), the sort of reasoning that is least likely to happen in a fox hole or on a death bed. But it's really just a conclusion, not an attempt to insult people or "put down" their beliefs.