"I am not an atheist, but I think this whole thread might be a bit offensive to many decent folks who are."
Well, I am an atheist and I find the thread, not offensive, but rather silly and immature.
Rightly so.
"Silly and immature."
Seems to me that silly and immature would be ignoring the obvious, in favor of pretending.
Lay aside the belief's of many of us about sin, salvation and a hereafter and just look at the world around us. We see foilage, perfect in it's own way and reproducing it's own kind. We see us humans and other warm blooded mamals, reproducing our own kind as are the fish, birds and insects.
We don't see a world or it's occupants brought to life by haphazzard accidents of nature. We see things that were designed by an intellegent force.