Fellow atheists give me a hard time because I talk a lot about fostering constructive dialogue between ourselves and people on the other side of the aisle, so to speak. They protest and ask, “What good can come of maintaining conversation with people who believe nonsense?” I understand where they’re coming from, but my feelings on the matter are different for at least a couple of reasons.
I’ve explained many times before that one major reason I keep trying to engage in these conversations (rather than simply burning those bridges and telling them all that they’ve been collectively duped) is that I still have too many precious relationships that would be damaged by the slash-and-burn approach of so many anti-theists to whom I am connected. Most of my friends who want me to cut the crap and start truly ripping away at the foundations of religious belief don’t have many close friends or family remaining who would be lost over such an approach. Most likely those bridges have already been burned for them so there’s nothing left to lose. I am not in such a position.
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