"I pray that you release yourself to the Godliness you so obviously crave. Think of Jesus on the Cross paying in blood for your sins. "

Even though I am prepared to accept that the believer who says this may often genuinely be sincere (as many of my friends are), and want to help, but only in the '"The One Way, or the highway" method, this is still highly offensive intolerance, in the same way as it is to say this to the culture of a Jew, Muslim, Hindu, or even Buddhist or Pagan - but supposedly it is acceptable to the culture of an A-theist. Once my friends are made aware of this viewpoint, they are often embarrassed, but I point out to them that I understand why they say this, having been brought up this way myself, and that such little things are understandable, they realize that I am not offended by such casual social lubrication.

I am reminded of the Buddhist Leader who related how his Teacher reacted when told this - "Thank you very much for that. Nice weather we are having today, isn't it?"

I accept people saying "bless you" when I sneeze, or "that's a good Christian act" when I help someone pick up the packages they have dropped, for they mean well in offering a compliment in the only way they know how.

But when you say what you just did, especially in that sort of intimidating put down context, you are revealing that not only are you multi-culturally insensitive, you are trying to intimidate and control by projecting your own fear, your own guilt for your own sins, so remember as your Own God admonished you, the mote in your own eye before you try to remove the beam from your neighbor. This context is why He said it.

For someone who really does not believe in your particular sky fairy culture, trying to force control by provoking guilt by emotive images of blood and deathly sacrifice is pathetic, if not actually laughable - remember that they do not ascribe to the things you hold most sacred, so you are only insulting the concepts they hold most sacred, in the same way as leering at women and saying "Nice tits, eh?", then responding, "Hey, it was only a compliment!" is only taken as a crude lack of respect - "What part of No can't you understand?".