Conversations with My Good Friend the Atheist

Why should Christians care about what Atheists believe?
It is easy to discover what Atheists have to say about Christianity and Christians. Pick up a book by any modern Atheist writer, read a few random pages, and the reader will have a sampling of the criticisms Atheists have regarding religion and people of faith. A natural first response is the desire to set the record straight. A person responding this way will quickly find themselves going in circles. This is one point Christians need to accept and understand. From the Christian's perspective, it serves no useful purpose when Christians engage Atheists in an attempt to set the record straight.
Atheism is a worldview or a way of seeing the world. Just as the Christian sees their Christian faith as reasonable and rational, the Atheist has the same view of what they believe to be true. Atheists vary in their definition of what it means to be an Atheist. There are, however, common themes found in the beliefs of people identifying themselves as Atheist. It is common, for example, to find people identifying themselves as Atheists to believe the natural world is all there is. This of course, excludes the supernatural and since God operates outside of nature, God is supernatural and is therefore eliminated in the thinking of Atheism.
How should the Christian respond when Atheists challenge Christian beliefs? How can the Christian respond effectively unless the Christian understands what Atheists believe? How can the Christian respond unless the Christian understands why Atheists believe as they do? The apostle Paul tells Christians to be ambassadors. Ambassadors need to understand the world in which they serve. This is why Christians should care about what Atheists believe.