Thought of the Day 06.20.08

~“Andrew, my roommate’s driving me crazy. We’re having this ongoing feud about religion. He even emails me while I’m at work. He was raised Catholic, and now he’s an atheist. And you know me. I don’t mind a good fight, but I just don’t know what to say to him anymore.”
~“Quit arguing with him.”
~“What?”
~“What do you think is the most terrifying thing for your roommate to imagine?”
~“Well, I guess he’s frightened that Christianity might actually be right and he’s been wrong all these years.”
~“Which is why he’s so desperate to prove you wrong. The louder he yells, the more scared you know he is. And the only reason for being scared is being unsure, right?”
~“That makes sense.”
~“So when you fight, you let him use anger to dispel all his fears. But when you don’t fight, your calm will unnerve him even more. Besides, if he’s gone from being just opposed to acting afraid, then he’s actually making progress toward accepting the truth. So leave him alone and wait for the time when he’ll become open to your input. ”
~“That’s worth a shot. Besides, it’s devious, and I like that.”
~“Jesus called it being as crafty as serpents, but as harmless as doves.”