Jesus Christ’s own declarations reflect his clear understanding of who he was. “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” He said. “No man cometh unto the Father but by me.” On the face of it, that’s a pretty bold declaration that leaves little room for dialogue.

Yet Jesus engaged people from all levels of society – the poor and the wealthy, the rulers and the disenfranchised, men and women, children and the aged, the healthy and the sick, Jew and Gentile. Jesus talked to anyone He thought would listen, sometimes adding “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” For only one group of people – hypocrites who urged devotion to the letter of the law while seemingly dismissing the fundamentals of love of God and man – did Christ reserve his most condemnatory language.

It is perfectly possible to hold devoutly strong convictions and yet engage others in conversation. Since we can all learn from each other, disagreement does not have to mean being disagreeable, accusatory or demeaning. Neither must a firm opinion inevitably be accompanied by an attitude of self-righteousness. It’s always possible to find common ground and build from there – for instance, the universality of God’s love for his children, or seeing religion as a sanctuary for our most cherished values.

This is not putting style over substance. It is simply recognizing that people who aren’t willing to discuss things with mutual respect, even among those with whom they strongly disagree, will take themselves out of the conversation entirely.