As a Christian, I would find a conversation with Peter Boghossian nearly impossible.<\/p>\n
Hmm…I wonder if there is a book on the market that could help me with this? Oh wait, Mr. Boghossian wrote one called How to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical<\/em> Guide.<\/p>\n Allow me a moment of sheer snark: \u00a0<\/strong>I think this book should be called A Manual for Creating Atheists: The Sequel.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n You see, this book, written in 2019, felt like Part Two of his 2013 book A Manual for Creating Atheists<\/em>. As a self-proclaimed atheist, Peter Boghossian has given us a masterful book (honestly) on how to have impossible conversations, all the while trying to convince the reader, particularly those he calls \u201creligious hardliners\u201d (pg. 6), that we are crazy to believe what we believe.<\/p>\n NOTE: \u00a0If you inspectionally read this one, just trust me, he put those that believe the Bible, the resurrection of Jesus, etc. on blast from page 1 through to the footnotes.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Now, of course, he has every right to hold to his atheistic beliefs (do atheists call them ‘beliefs?’), and he can write whatever he darn well wants! Last time I checked, this is still ‘Merica. But, golly, he sure has it out for religious people. Guess I should have expected that from a Portland State University faculty member. Check that, \u00a0former<\/strong><\/em> faculty member. In September 2021, Boghossian resigned from his position at Portland State University. In his resignation letter, he accuses the university of creating a culture where students are “afraid to speak openly and honestly,” of training students to “mimic the moral certainty of ideologues,” and of “intolerance of divergent beliefs and opinions,” and said that he faced harassment and retaliation for speaking out.<\/p>\n Sounds like he had some impossible conversations on his hands.<\/p>\n OK…snarky rant over. I honestly found so many beneficial tips, tricks, and principles in this book. Here are just a few that I captured and appreciated.<\/p>\n \u2022 In his seven fundamentals of a good conversation, #7 invites one to walk away, even when a conversation is going well. Don’t keep pushing your conversation partner beyond their comfort zone (pg. 28). In the words of The Gambler: ‘You gotta know when to hold ’em when to fold ’em when to walk away, and when to run.’<\/p>\n \u2022 Don’t interrupt or treat people rudely (pg. 40). Be civil. This book should be required reading for every current and future election cycle.<\/p>\n \u2022 While people think they are having arguments about substance, they’re often just disagreements about the meanings of words (pg. 41). That’s spot on.<\/p>\n \u2022 You can often find areas of moral agreement when you point out how extremists\u00a0on your side<\/em> go too far (pg. 47). This point could be so helpful in our polarized, tribalistic world right now.<\/p>\n So, without question, this was a robust and helpful book that I will be returning to often when I’m facing “impossible conversations,” and, in case you’re wondering, I have those frequently as a pastor. Sometimes, I sit across the table from a person who is determined against what I believe as a Christian. They set up a meeting with me to bust my chops with all their YouTube\/Podcast-fueled quips and barbs against the Bible and Christianity. I’m OK with all that. I’ve heard several of these arguments before, and it hasn’t caused me to falter in my faith. Based upon this, I think Boghossian would think of ME as an “ideologue” – one unwilling or unable to revise their moral beliefs (pg. 157).<\/p>\n OK, OK…I may<\/em> be. I don’t think<\/em> I’m unmovable, but I’m not always the best judge of myself. For my first 3 years of youth ministry, a volunteer leader would bring me breath mints at youth group each week. I thought she was just being kind. I didn’t realize for a long time that she was doing that because my breath stunk, and she didn’t want students to die while being prayed for! I just didn’t realize it. I do now. <\/strong>Therefore, to this day, I will rarely be found without a handful of Altoids in my pocket. The point is that I don’t consider myself an unmovable ideologue. But I sure have sat across from folks who seemed like they<\/em> were, and, to me, Peter Boghossian sure comes across as one, which strikes me as super ironic, given the focus of his book.<\/p>\n And yet, I want to be his friend. I really do. I think we could hang out, have an Oregon-based microbrew, and shoot the breeze. I know he thinks I am a “religious hardliner,” but honestly, I don’t want to debate. I don’t need to win. He doesn’t have to lose.<\/p>\n I want to be like Phil Vischer, who was with Peter Boghossian. You can read about it on page 73. Phil is winsome. Winsome, in case you’re wondering, is my absolute favorite word. It has always been and always will be (without being an ideologue about it!).<\/p>\n The story is told of an interaction between Phil and Peter, and I simply love it.<\/p>\n Boghassian:\u00a0You know, I think the alleged resurrection of Jesus is silly, right?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Visher:\u00a0[laughing] Yeah.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n That’s it.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Phil didn’t get his undies all in a bunch. He just responded with: \u00a0[laughing] Yeah.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n In the end, this book gave me so many helpful tips, tricks, and communication principles, but the best of all is this: \u00a0[laughing] Yeah.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n That is so, so winsome<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n P.S. A critical person approached John Wesley at a church service, saying, \u201cMy talent is to speak my mind.\u201d <\/em>Wesley replied: \u201cThat\u2019s one talent the Lord would not care a bit if you buried!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n [laughing] Yeah.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n P.P.S. Last week I had the opportunity to be on the studio set and hang out in the green room of “Real Time with Bill Mahr.” Bill is a self-declared athiest and harsh cricic of Christianity. I would have loved to have talked to him, but we were explicitly told to not approach him or talk to him unless he first engaged, so we never spoke. But I would have loved to, and it would have been, most likely, an impossible conversation. As an evangelical Christian, religious hardliner, I would have be torched by him. That’s OK, I don’t need to win. He doesn’t need to lose. I didn’t want to debate. I just wanted to have a drink and a laugh!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As a Christian, I would find a conversation with Peter Boghossian nearly impossible. Hmm…I wonder if there is a book on the market that could help me with this? Oh wait, Mr. Boghossian wrote one called How to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide. 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