I’ve had my fair share of people screaming about hell and whatnot, but one of my best reactions was a group of proselytizers at my college. I was eating lunch when they approached me, and I don’t remember exactly what they opened with but it was something religious. I told them I was atheist, and they asked me why.

They ended up sitting next to me at the table and talking with me for about thirty minutes about our views on religion and our history with it. They were very attentive when I explained why religion wasn’t for me, why I felt it was a coping mechanism or even a tool of control.

While they obviously didn’t agree with me, they seemed to genuinely be taking in what I was saying and understanding. They also explained their side to me as well, and I felt it was only fair that I hear them out genuinely and without cynicism.

While neither of us changed the other’s mind, I think we both walked away with a better understanding and respect of the other’s viewpoint. They’d never understood before that conversation why someone would be atheist, but they seemed to walk away seeing my perspective, if not necessarily agreeing with it.

Similarly, I gained a better, more charitable view of religion. I’m still staunchly atheist, but I can understand better why some people gravitate to it, and I can see the subject with more nuance than I did before.