I do not waste my time trying to explain logic and reason to the willfully ignorant and the congenitally stupid.

Trying to explain anything to a true believer who is completely brainwashed is absolutely a waste of time.

In my past experiences with such Faithfools as Morons, sorry Mormons, and the like, you'd be far better off, and have less of a headache, by banging your head against a brick wall to see if it would comprehend what you are saying.

I don't waste my time. Especially with Morons er I mean Mormons

I just laugh about it.
...and their underwear, and baptism of the dead, and the prophet named Joe, and how their rules from God change when the law changes and most of all Mormon archeology, nothing is as frustrated as a Mormon archeologists.

I simply explain that I believe that the good that you do here, if it is rewarded at all, is rewarded here. The evil that you do, if it is punished at all, is punished here. and when you're dead, you're dead. No need to get into a battle of wits with an unarmed person.

My long-standing reaction is a smile and, "It's all make-believe."

I live in Alabama and as long as the weather is good, I go for a motorcycle ride nearly every Sunday and have breakfast at the same place every time. For the first year or so I got approached by bible thumpers about every other weekend or so and always shut them down pretty quick.

When they start talking, cut them off and ask them to show you proof. When they get about halfway into their reply, cut them of with “That’s your opinion and interpretation of what you read in the Bible or your preacher told you; not proof. Give me proof.”

Just keep replying with that. It’s rare that come back a second time. Never a third time. And I eat breakfast in peace now. The dirty looks most Sundays add to the enjoyment too. I did start tipping super well after the first time so I hope I haven’t gotten any boogers in my food.

I don't. I just tell them my personal belief is heaven and hell is make-believe and then I shut down the conversation.

To all those who believe in some imaginary heaven or paradise I would simply ask them why they don't make their way there as soon as possible.

I haven't attempted any of those conversations in a very long time.
I can think of much better uses of my time.

I grew up Mormon too. I don't try to explain anything... just ask questions...like you don't know.
This puts those questions into their mind.

Explain God's unconditional love for humanity?

Why do you believe heaven is designed like the Titanic (first class, second class, and steerage)?
Also known as a pyramid scheme?

Why does an all powerful being demand worship? Ego? A condition of his unconditional love?

Define being worthy?

Etc.

I respond to their nonsensical answers with the comment, "Interesting"
And just leave it at that.

Spreading the seeds of doubt. LOL

I would explain it’s like them not believing in another religion’s version of afterlife. For instance ask them why they don’t believe in Buddhist reincarnation.

The absolute best explanation I've heard was put forth by Sam Harris. Here is the part of his explanation that says it all for me.

"But there are very good reasons to think it’s not true. We know this from 150 years of neurology where you damage areas of the brain, and faculties are lost… You can cease to recognize faces, you can cease to know the names of animals but you still know the names of tools…

What we’re being asked to consider is that you damage one part of the brain, and something about the mind and subjectivity is lost, you damage another and yet more is lost, [but] you damage the whole thing at death, we can rise off the brain with all our faculties in tact, recognizing grandma and speaking English!"

I couldn't stop laughing uncontrollably at the magic underwear concept!!

You don't need to. Just say that you think it is a lot of nonsense and you don't believe in it.

Start singing "Dream on" by Aerosmith.

Does this help?

If they're ever going to recover from religion it will come from within. The best you can do is throw some doubt at them and maybe it will take root in the future.

Don't try just frustrating

I was raised Mormon, but I never felt I belonged, but even so it ws not easy to leave, as the church deliverately creates a social life for you, which of course revolves around church events. As I had al lmy social life arranged for me, it was really hard to cope with developing my own social life from scratch.

Mormons are like all other religions in that they totally ignore anything that contradicts with their religion. It happened in my case that at the same time we studied the old testament in church, in high school we were studying Greek mythology, and I noticed some similarities in story structures. After all what is today's Greek mythology was yesterday's Greek religion, and the seeds of coubt that wre always present started to grow.

I like this video as a way to help olant seeds of doubt in the religious. It shows that variosu gods and messiahs have nearly identical stories to Jesus.

Theirs is the product of wishful thinking with no chance of their explanation being scientifically acceptable. E.g. how do you have thoughts in heaven? Thoughts have been proved as electrical activity, and for electricity you need the electrons from atoms that make up your brain. Death is the beginning of the dispersal of your atoms to all parts of the universe and beyond . So any thoughts or movements of electrons would not be connected to anything.

You can counter their theory of impossible Heaven by postulating you own ' Heaven on earth '. We are moving towards that very slowly and not in a straight line of progression, only really hampered by religion.

Tell him there's free Ice Cream and cake in hell?

I just say "There is no reason to believe this, other than what is written in a holy book. There is nothing to back up the story. Additionally there is plenty of proven science that contradicts the story."