This may be unpopular, but arguing with or trolling people only serves to strengthen their bias, and you look as petty (if not more) than the people you’re trolling. It’s a lose-lose situation.
It’s a hard pill to swallow, but you convincing a Christian that they’re wrong about their beliefs is as effective as them convincing you their beliefs are correct. It’s two sides of the same coin. Instead of evangelizing about atheism, make it known you’re there to listen and if they have questions then you’ll be happy to give them answers. Criticizing ones core beliefs and values will only cause them to shutdown and stop listening. It doesn’t matter how correct you are; they will double down on their beliefs and you’ll become the bad guy.
For example, I have a group of neighbors who are all very religious. Most of them know where I stand, and how I feel. One of them even took the time to sit me down and express how worried about me she is. I listened. I politely explained my position, and we both went about our ways.
Most of these people are still good people at their core. They are misguided; I won’t argue that. But to them, they are doing the right thing. Just like you feel you’re doing the right thing. This ain’t the movies; nobody thinks of themselves as a villain. Everyone is both the main character and hero of their stories.
That said, all you can do is speak your peace and carry on. Other people will either agree or they won’t. No sense in wasting yours or their time otherwise.
This may be unpopular, but arguing with or trolling people only serves to strengthen their bias, and you look as petty (if not more) than the people you’re trolling. It’s a lose-lose situation.
It’s a hard pill to swallow, but you convincing a Christian that they’re wrong about their beliefs is as effective as them convincing you their beliefs are correct. It’s two sides of the same coin. Instead of evangelizing about atheism, make it known you’re there to listen and if they have questions then you’ll be happy to give them answers. Criticizing ones core beliefs and values will only cause them to shutdown and stop listening. It doesn’t matter how correct you are; they will double down on their beliefs and you’ll become the bad guy.
For example, I have a group of neighbors who are all very religious. Most of them know where I stand, and how I feel. One of them even took the time to sit me down and express how worried about me she is. I listened. I politely explained my position, and we both went about our ways.
Most of these people are still good people at their core. They are misguided; I won’t argue that. But to them, they are doing the right thing. Just like you feel you’re doing the right thing. This ain’t the movies; nobody thinks of themselves as a villain. Everyone is both the main character and hero of their stories.
That said, all you can do is speak your peace and carry on. Other people will either agree or they won’t. No sense in wasting yours or their time otherwise.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.