I'm not offended for people thinking my beliefs are like a child's fairytale, many of my closest friends also jab me with statements about "his sky daddy" and what not. I definitely understand the viewpoint of a non-believer, being one myself in the past. I'm also not afraid that some of my beliefs offend others, although I don't wish them ill will at all. After all, my eating pork and beef offends billions of people around the world for different reasons, and in the end I don't care.
What I'm talking about is specifically this statement:
> For religious people there is always the single factor
That for all religious people there is only a single factor, that factor being God. As if nobody else's own work and struggle enabled that positive outcome, it was just God that stepped in and make everything just magically happen every time. I've experienced people (plenty, trust me) who lived life this way, and I totally get the frustration at dealing with such people. Because, in the end they usually use such a mindset to not give a shit about the people who were actually there that made the positive outcome happen. They can ignore giving back and supporting those who toiled to ensure the positive outcome happened.
Suggesting all religious people live live this way and with this viewpoint is painting a very negative view of all religious people. Tons of religious people absolutely do not have this viewpoint, at all, even if they see God's influence in their lives.
I absolutely still credit the surgeon for my survival, I definitely still tip my bar tender for a good time.
> That for all religious people there is only a single factor, that factor being God.
I think you're just getting hung up on phrasing here. No one is stating this literally -- it's obviously easily disproven.
Change 1-2 words and you'll see what people really believe (and it's true):
> For many religious people there is always a specific factor that is present, that factor being God.
You are basically saying that while the surgeon did have a hand in the outcome, some god intervened in the process and allowed/enabled it to occur. You have to understand that to the rest of us, this belief is absurd and hard to take seriously.