> I think your approach is a bit too cold
> and logical to be
effective with many types of people.
(It's odd that people often confuse precision with coldness.) I don't doubt that my approach is too rational and scholarly to convert most Christians. But Christianity isn't dying because Christians are being converted by the direct proselytizing efforts of non-Christians. Christianity is dying because people recognize (at varying levels) that there is a superior worldview available. My goal is simply to identify and promote the best available worldview; the rest will take care of itself.
> But with others you need to establish a level of friendship and
>
trust before you go steamrolling over their cherished beliefs.
Do you proselytize any of the Christians among your friends and family? I don't.
> Sadly, many Christians seem shocked that an atheist can be friendly
and
> considerate. One Christian recently wrote to me "These are in
no way
> slandering questions, I am honestly asking them because
normally
> when I ask an Atheist they ridicule me instead of giving an
answer." If this
> true, our worldview has had poor representation
indeed.
I agree that most atheist polemicists are too impatient and too
scornful toward Christians. But Christians and atheists alike are foolish to
take anyone's behavior as evidence for or against the propositions he asserts.
> In an item JP and I co-authored, JP places me in a category
called
> "Scholarly Skeptics" described as "Those who have researched
and
> thought out their position with careful consideration, and are also
willing
> to listen to coherent arguments against their views and
listen to them thoughtfully."
> That is located here: http://www.tektonics.org/gerkin03.html
The former applies to Turkel, but the latter often doesn't. If you or he ever have any specific evidence that either doesn't apply to me, I would welcome hearing about it. Otherwise, good luck teaching Turkel some manners.