To dispel all the confusion, one might have to write from now until kingdom come. I'll touch upon only a few fundamentals. The difference between theism and atheism can hinge on subtle distinctions omitted here. According to this definition, those who equate god with the totality of nature, as did Baruch Spinoza, Walt Whitman, and Albert Einstein, are atheists.
All babies are atheists.
Some atheists are gregarious and chatty, others quiet and retiring. Some are studious, others mindless. I had rather hobnob with a reflective theist than a dumb or obnoxious atheist. Perhaps civility should be accorded the reverence some reserve for deity. In any case, a well versed theist sometimes gives me something worth mulling.