Religious Persuation

A person asked me the other day what my religious persuation was, and of course I knew what he was trying to say... What did I believe in. To this question I replied "I am an Atheist, but I do believe that a person has a soul in the form of energy produced by the brain and spread through the body. This energy fuels the person's individual personality, and is half the reason people do what they do in life". The look on this person's face was a picture, which incouraged me to continue, "when someone dies, that is it! The energy is released into the atmosphere, and the person will 'live' for eternity in the minds of others". The picture that was the face of this person faded into an expression of shock. "What is wrong?" I asked curiously. "How can you even think like that. I mean everyone has a soul that survives death". When he said this, the penny dropped that my new found friend was, as I remember, deeply religious- one of those 'happy clappy' christians. I, myself, however, do not judge others (like her had just done) for their beliefs. I rather take an interest without fueling a religious argument, as some Atheists tend to do with believers. I then replied "well, that is your opinion, and I have nothing against it". My friend then proceded to inform me, rather dramatically, that if I did not believe, I would be damned to an eternity of torture and torment in an awful abiss. To this, I replied "I think, if I don't believe in it, it wont happen".

To myself, I thought 'why in this day and age are people so critical of other individual beliefs, when everyone has the freedom to believe what they like'.
I, myself, base my belief on what is known and proven by science and positive thinking, such as the prolonging and saving of life through medical science; healthy lifestyle; and living a full and happy life while helping others do the same. I see this as a safe path to travel due to my many close encounters with death, and it was positive thought and energy, as well as medical science that got me through.