Religion is the systematic rationalization of the ineffable. If God does not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him, or else the "God-shaped hole" in "our hearts" will ache with desire for something greater than a meaningless and finite life.
There are some things which really tick me off though:
1. The tight-lipped grin. You know what I'm talking about - when you dish out reason and they realize they have no idea how to respond. So they grin and shake their head, and repeat some slogan.
2. "I'll pray for you". No thanks. And what if I said in return, "May Zeus/Jupiter/(other pagan god) bless you in return?"
3. Lack of common sense. e.g.
Noah's Flood (salinity changes would have killed off majority of sea creatures; not enough food to feed all land animals, not enough exercise space for animals, lifespan of some animals very short, kangaroos from Australia + llamas from S. America = did Noah visit those lands to get those animals too?);
dinosaurs (some Christians say they walked the earth with Man - but then why are their bones buried in sediment dating to hundreds of millions of years ago?), etc. etc. etc. These are NOT explained away by the Bible (unlike wandering the Sinai Desert for 40 years, which is explained away by being fed with manna). In fact, the Bible provides evidence which directly disproves its own assertions (i.e. Noah's boat is way too small to host all animals).
4. Lack of philosophical inquiry. If God is omnipotent and omniscient, then we have no true free will. We might have subjective free will, but that's the free will of a hamster in a cage. So how can they say God gave us a "choice" of loving Him? And what kind of a "choice" is "love God" or "Go to Hell"?
5. Slave mentality. The ultimate Christian answer as to why God made everything is because it's for His own Glory. Yeah, they'll say stuff like God loves everyone, etc. etc. - but then if God made everything, that'll include sin and resultant death (or at least the capacity to sin). Also, some Christians pray by saying "we are totally powerless without You", which I suppose implies that God directs all action in their lives, which then I suppose includes sinning. And if God has a Master Plan (TM), then our sinning is merely part of God's Master Plan (TM). Which makes... sinning OK? I mean, if we don't sin according to plan, then God won't have his plan realized. So is sin really that bad? I digress.
6. Lack of understanding of history. See Marcionism. Gnostic gospels. Council of Nicea. Emperor Constantine the Great.
...At one point she grabbed my hand and said "I feel like I've known you forever" and didn't let go for a long time. I could only imagine how lonely she must be, stuck at home looking after the babies all the time, doing chores.
At one point she mentioned how her mom was going to make her wedding dress, and I wondered if they were marrying her off soon. She was still a child. Another time, she said that sometimes she saw people listening to rock music and thought "how sad their lives must be because they must not know God." She was so brainwashed, sheltered, and obviously so lonely but glossing over it with religious fluff, like she had been taught to do. After she left, I went home and cried...
Did you end up keeping in contact with her?