The fact that you are "good citizens" and "pay your taxes" has very little to do with your religion - as much as you may beg to differ.
Again - I would say this has nothing to do with your religion.
Now this is an ironic bit. When your brand of religion (at least the greater category) seems the most prone to proselytize of any religion on the planet.
This is certainly not the only thing I've born witness to. Threats of damnation, people getting really, really huffy, people attempting to guide and steer legislation, people protesting and complaining to no foreseeable end, people leaving their children's ailments untreated in favor of healing by God, people duping others for monetary gain. Let me know where you get your rose-colored glasses from. They seem like they must be pretty good ones.
Do you do it for the people you talk about, or because God calls you to do it and you want that sweet spot in "heaven?" Do you really care about my autonomy and freedom (that you believe is given to me by God, remember?), or would you rather I just believed like you so that things were easier? Do you even care if what you speak is the truth, knowing that you have no inter-subjectively verifiable evidence, or any way to sufficiently demonstrate the truth of your claims, or are you just afraid of finding out you've wasted years of your life? Yeah... your motives have questions floating all around them.
Lets begin and try and answer your questions and questions.
First, the most ironic. You are concerned about verifiable evidence to support my claims. You are big on evidence right ?
What evidence is there for the singularity that allegedly existed before the big bang, that was the cause for the creation of the universe ? Would you please cite that evidence ?
Perhaps you believe in another idea about the creation of the universe, multi verse ?, brane theory, open or closed universe ? Please cite the verifiable evidence for whatever you believe to be the cause for the creation of the universe.
How about the creation of life ? So far, as far I can tell, there is only one idea desperately held on to by non believers, abiogenesis. There is no observed, created, or known process for how this works, yet it is taught as fact. The earth is proposed to be essentially a rock undergoing rain and lightning and this runoff creates a sea where life pops up, or maybe it was a thermal vent, or maybe in clay, or maybe in bubbles.
Please cite the verifiable evidence for how this occurred, any idea you like. Lab created dsimle [polymers aren´t verifiable evidence for abiogenesis, the creation pf life from non living chemicals, but go ahead show me the evidence. A precursor cell fossil would be interesting, or an exact rendering based upon geology of the percentages of actual chemicals in the precursor environment, and their combinations to create life would be good.
Fact is, based upon verifiable evidence, you haven a clue as to how the universe or life came into existence. Dress up a pig with scientific language, and highly intelligent PhDś telling you it isn´t a pig, you still have a pig.
My pig is just as pretty as yours
You rightly complain about negative behavior of alleged Christians. I complain of the same things. A person can call themselves a shovel, that doesn´t make them one.
There is a standard, given by Christ as to how to tell a true believer. He said by their fruit you will know them. He also said there is a wide path that many walk thinging they are Christians, yet in the end, they are found to be non Christian.
Paul clearly enunciates the Fruit Christ was talking about. Love, patience, kindness, willingness to help etc., etc, etc.
The traits you list are anathema to what we are told our behavior should be, so draw your own conclusions.
You seem concerned that Christians share the Gospel. Why do we do that ?
Well, we were told to do that, by Christ. The why is important. The true Christian believes that Christ, in love, wants the entire world saved from both the end of the world as we know it, and literally death. We, out of this concern, want people to hear the simple message that cas save them.
I have reached the age where friends and people I know are dropping off the twig.
When one dies who for, whatever reason, I didn´t mention the Gospel to them, I shudder. If they are lost, I could share responsibility for that when I am judged.
Sure, I would like to live forever as promised, but that is up to God, so I don´t worry about it.
I was an atheist once myself. I had all the arguments against Christianity, and probably more, that you have. I believed humans were just animals all scruffing for survival with each other and all the other animals, with oblivion at the end of the scruffing.
A philosophy course led me down some interesting roads and led me to some interesting questions.
In the end, I found that the Christian philosophy of life is a rewarding way to live, and I don´t have to judge my worth by money, the size of my house, or the car I drive.
Being concerned for people, giving, helping, volunteering is rewarding in itself. Being an agent of peace to others in a world that rips at ones sense of peace is a high reward.
I believe it was Blaise Pascal who said," if you are right, and I am wrong, I lose nothing, if I am right and you are wrong, you lose everything ¨
So, to the atheists, I say bring it if you feel you have to. I have listened to you for years in this forum, you intimidate me not, you sway me not. I believe most are insecure about their "faith" and must constantly re confirm it by raging at me as a Christian target. Really, no big deal.