This was a situation where a Gentile was arrogantly yelling at a bunch of Jews, basically saying "Judaism is a religion! R-E-L-I-G-I-O-N! You can't be both a Jew and an atheist!"
In fact, most rabbis, probably including most Orthodox rabbis, would agree that a Jew who's an atheist still counts as a member of the Jewish people. But so many Christians think it's their place to dictate what it means to be Jewish. They desperately want being Jewish to work like being Christian, which it doesn't. It's its own thing. As I said, they need to listen more and yammer less about things they don't know about.
The issues you raise about conversions and Jews by choice are a separate conversation, I think.
@bwjewishhistory I’m a Culinary Jew, not a believer..even though I used to be quite frum.
