Bristoe - good questions and analysis well stated. I don't have any definitive answers, but the answer for #1 could be that those atheists have some overwhelming guilt complex played out as fake intellectual curiosity.
For #2, even the most sound arguments, comments and Scriptural postings made by Christians only seem like stimulus for further bashing by some atheists, so I don't understand the "need".
For those reasons, I try to avoid arguing with atheists who attack - but feel it worthwhile to expose their unsupported assumptions, illogical and inconsistent comments and vivid hypocrisy. Some here seem convinced that those types are laborers for Satan.
There is always value in exposing atheistic reasoning and heretical teaching. Many can’t distinguish and fall for the lies.
