Dishonesty and thoughtlessness in believers.

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7. Maybe the problem isn't in the answers. Maybe the problem is in the questions.

Maybe you just haven't found the goalposts. It's not that the goalposts are moving. It's just that the goalposts haven't been located, yet.

I mean, if somebody starts questioning me about who I want to win the world series, they are likely to get a lot of hemming and hawing while I struggle with the fact that I am being questioned about something that I just don't normally think much about. And the information gathered is likely to be contradictory, since I'd be just making it up as I go along.

And my indecision could very well be interpreted as "moving the goalposts", and you may very well come away with the notion that Atheists are constantly shifting.

But if you ask me about something that I really care about, like the abolition of land mines or cluster bombs or nuclear weapons, then you will get a very clear idea of where I stand as an Atheist.

You would learn something real and significant about Atheist beliefs.

Remember, the concerns of the questioner may not match well with the concerns of the person being questioned.

If one wants to get a real idea of the full spectrum of a person's religious beliefs, then you have to be willing to find out what they really care about to insure that you are asking the right questions.

For example, there's a thread up right now in the religion forum titled something like "What does Jesus think about Capitol Punishment".

This would be an excellent opportunity for Atheists who are genuinely interested in the religious beliefs of Christians to inquire about how they feel about Capitol Punishment.

That's how Atheists can get real and useful insight right this very moment into Christian belief.