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When you talk to believers about their beliefs, do you try to convert them?

So when speaking with believers who want to talk about their beliefs do you try to make them see the fallacies in those beliefs or do you have a live and let live mentality.

To be clear I am not talking about believers pushing their beliefs on you, just talking with you about what they believe.

Malhavok 4 Nov 2
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12 comments

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1

Not at all. They can’t see the truth if they are not willing to open their eyes.
It’s something they should come to on their own will.

1

No for two reasons. 1) I don't like it when they try to do it to me and 2) the person has to want it. Having a rational discussion with that person might plant the seeds of doubt in their mind, but they won't take that step until they're ready. Trying to push too hard too fast will only cause them to cling to their beliefs even harder.

GwenC Level 7 Nov 2, 2017
2

Usually no, but if they want to pursue a discussion, I am always happy to debate.

2

I don't try to convert people. I think people pick up on when you're pushing an agenda and they become obstinate and stop listening. It's much easier to have a conversation and to just explain your own perspective, and what they do with that knowledge is up to them — but I think they're more likely to come back with questions and engage in deeper conversation if it's just a friendly discussion.

1

Talking is not proselytizing and proselytizing is how the money of the believers comes into the religious organizations from antiquity, today and the future.

4

Well, I'll point out inconsistencies, but I will not aggressively pursue them; I remember asking a question a couple of Jehovah's witnesses, and they said they'd ask their superior and send me the answer by email. They actually did and I found it interesting (it was about the use of the word Elohim, a plural word in ancient Hebrew, to refer to God in the Old Testament). At other times, I've seen some religious people spouting some stuff that made so little sense I had to show them how little sense it made - not by bashing, but by directing the conversation in a way so that they themselves would be confronted with their incoherence. It all comes back to the old story of the Sun and the wind 😉

MarcO Level 5 Nov 2, 2017
4

with "true believers" you would be wasting your time.

3

No, I don't think it would do any good to try anyway.
I think if they don't come to that conclusion on their own, they'll think you're just trying to force your beliefs on them.
We don't like it when they do that to us, why should they?

4

No. I know better. It is far more productive to engage them in conversation and plant seeds of doubt by asking the right sort of questions without being obvious. Anything else loses them instantly.

3

I don't actively try to convert anyone, but, I may plant 'seeds' of thought and let them think it out or not.

3

No. I simply tell people who want to talk about their beliefs that I find them absurd. If they push further, I'll one up it with; It's fucking absurd. That'll generally end the belief conversation.

2

Nope. I may state known verifiable facts that show their religion and beliefs to be wrong, but never insist they change their minds. most religious persons have doubts, but they don't want ot lose that sense of community and belonging tht they get by beign a part of a religious group. Unless I knew how they could get tht elsewhere, any efforts to actually "convert" would be in vain, because they don't seek truth so much as a sense of community and belonging.

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