What did I say that was different? Not feeling called on, just clarification please.
And I can back up my convictions with data - they aren't just "beliefs."
And it is exactly to avoid van-pelting them (great allusion, that!) that I just casually mention my atheism whenever their religion comes up in casual conversation. Then I go on with the conversation to ensure that it remains a casual mention. No one should feel pelted.
So on the one hand, I am for atheists coming out of the closet and not being afraid to call themselves what they are, out of misplaced respect for the god-fearing, or the believers of non-facts, or whatever your term de pr&eaiguf&eaigurence.
But on the other hand, I also think that the threat (in the sense of threat assessment) from religion by now so far outweighs any good that can't be accomplished without religion that it's time not to respect the outward manifestation of belief in the supernatural. What you believe in your core is your issue; if you talk about your mythology as if it were reality, uncloseted atheists everywhere would just laugh at how absurd and silly that is- which to me is the sensible, rational, normal response anyway.