One of many naive American beliefs is that all we need to do is talk to one another and our differences will somehow morph into "common ground." But blind faith is impervious to evidence and cannot be swayed by argument--however politely conducted.
As a liberal, I must say that liberals are especially prone to the fantasy of talk as the great healer. When I was promoting my book "Freethinkers," I agreed to appear on a right-wing radio talk show that attracts a large Christian fundamentalist audience (even though the host, Michael Medved, is an Orthodox Jew). After I pointed out that the framers deliberately omitted any mention of God from the Constitution, a caller volunteered that she pitied me because I did not comprehend the truth of God's love and was destined for hell unless I saw the light.
What could I have said? "Thank you for your kind wishes?" The very word "conversation" implies an exchange between individuals who suspect that they might have something to learn from one another. But fundamentalists, whatever their specific faith, believe that everything worth knowing is contained in a holy book handed down by a particular deity to a particular prophet. Let us not waste our breath on those for whom the only possible common ground is the ground on which they blindly stand.
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