GoFish, why can't people on the sidelines find the same happy medium that I've found? How do you know they haven't done just that? I am by no means agreeing with you assessment of anyone here, btw, just making the point that people are not forced to believe anything.
You may can force someone to 'do' something (although not in this country unless you like jail time), but since you cannot see inside their mind, you cannot force someone's thoughts or beliefs to adhere to your's.
Let me put it this way. Say you lived in a country where your family would be imprisoned if you claim to be an Atheist. Now, due to fear for your family, you may be forced to say you are not an Atheist, but would you still be an Atheist? Yes, because they can't force you to think or believe what they believe.