Damned (or saved) if you do ...

... and if you don't. Something I've noticed from religious-minded friends. If you espouse athiest views without properly engaging religious belief, they'll say: 'you're not in a position to criticise religion; you haven't properly engaged it.' But if you do engage religious belief -- religious texts, theological criticism and philosophy and so on -- they'll say: 'for a supposed atheist you're awfully fascinated with religion! Clearly your inner believer is trying to break through your crust of unbelief ... how else to explain your close attention to the Bible (or Qu'ran, or whatever) ...'