you need patience to be able to have a "conversation" with them. im a patient person, slow to anger, and patient with life in general. BUT, my patience with atheists can be very short. sometimes i can take my time with them, other times, i have no patience.
and its really about their approach to the conversation. generally, they are very insulting, like to make jokes, sarcastic, like to mock you and God / Jesus.. when they are that shallow and ignorant, i lose my patience very quickly.
a couple of my closest friends are atheists and we've had debates and conversations for hours, days.. 1 is respectful but stubborn. the other, very disrespectful.
needless to say, the 1 that is disrespectful, we are not friends anymore. even tho i was always respectful toward him and helped him out with little things when he never asked for help.
and the respectful 1, we are cool, but im not as cool with him as we once were because he really doesnt listen to anything you say. he will go through with the motions of the conversation, but hes really not trying to hear you. and i give him nothing but advice when hes always going through something, and you see how he could have avoided this situation if he would have listened, but he doesnt even see it that way.. then you give him advice on how to get out of this situation, and he doesnt hear you and dwells in this problem... again, seeing how your advice would help, he doesnt even consider it. you would think as many mistakes he made that he could have avoided just by simply taking heed to my advice, that he would take notice to what i say and begin to listen more, then eventually come around to believing ( which is really the only reason im associated with him ).. but it seems like a hopeless situation of trying to conquer. but i keep my faith and patience with him.