How do you talk to religious groups that believe prophesy is reality?

[genius]

There are certain groups of Christians who believe that prophesy tells them that the Arabs and Palestinians are bad guys and have only evil on their minds and that the Israelis are good guys and are God's chosen ones. They refuse to look at what is happening in the Middle East and say they get it all from scripture and that they know that their beliefs about prophesy are reality. To say otherwise is heresy to them.

1) How do you get them to look at reality?

2) How do you get them to stop being as bigoted as they come across?

[Cleita]

1. You can't. They have to become disillusioned

in their own time. Some never do. The real thing we need to do is to prevent these beliefs from running our government. When this happens and it has happened, we need to get our Congress and our courts to push them back behind that line that separates church and state.

This means that there should be no creationism taught in schools as science. It could fit into a social studies, or comparative religion class, but it has no business in science classes or instead of them.
And there should be no legislation that prevents women from making decisions about their reproductive capabilities. There are so many other violations, but these seem to be the main ones.

[VOX]

2. Not possible. They're convinced that they have "inside information."

And they're not about to surrender their perceived "one-up-on-the-universe" status.

Additionally, many have been conditioned to believe that *any* contrary, dogma-challenging information -- no matter how reasonable -- comes directly from Satan.

It all puts the kibosh on any critical thinking.

[NMMNG]

3. I don't see it as possible

They believe what they want to believe. Trying to get them to change their minds is like baning your head against the wall:banghead: . All you're doing is asking for a headache.

[alittlelark]

4. My Mom is one. I spent 15 or so years believing that crap.

This was in the 70's and early 80's... this shit has been around for A LONG TIME.

Sadly, they are not capable of seeing what their religion has become - the televangelists and preachers have brainwashed them to be immune w/ their incessant lamentations of the persecutions that the church is suffering, and the desperate need for the followers (sheep) to defend the church against the heathen hoard.

It gets worse... they sell 'armor' in toddler size to be part of the 'Army of the Lord'. My nephew has one- oh, and a sword comes with it. My son's went out w/ the trash before we left NM.

[alittlelark]

5. dupe-delete

[Maru Kitteh]

6. the same way you talk to atheists who "know" there is no God

You respectfully explain to them that you appreciate their viewpoint but you do not hold the same beliefs. You draw on personal experience and observation to illustrate your views and hopefully somewhere down the line, the seed you plant will grow.

I am a Christian but I like to point out that we are ALL, in fact, agnostics. Religious, spiritual and atheists alike. Unless you have PERSONALLY been dead beyond repair and come back you do not know whether a supreme being(s) or collective consciousness exists.

edited to add the letter d.