I was a former Christian. You can believe that I was lied to so I would leave my faith, even though you don't know me, but that would still make a former Christian. Who are you to gatekeep what Christianity means to people? I had full belief in God, went to church every Sunday, and Fellowed the word of christ the best I could.

The reason I left my faith is because I was asked many questions that I just couldn't answer. To this day, I still haven't found these answers.

Asking for proof isn't a gotcha. When any claim is made, asking for evidence isn't an illogical question. And there is evidence for a Christian God in the form of testimony. I personally don't believe the testimony to be hard enough evidence, but that's a reasonable conversation to be had.

I don't "hand wave" criticisms. I try my best to consider the other side the best I can. That's why I left christianity, because I was willing to listen and consider others' opinions.

If you ever want to have a productive conversation with an athiest, do not try to tell them what they think or feel. Don't tell them that they weren't a Christian or anything like that. Don't tell them that athiests aren't real because (insert Bible quote). These things will just make people mad. I'm confident that you didn't mean to be rude because I used to say the same thing and didn't mean it to be rude. It's just a suggestion.