I'd like to mention a new Meetup occurring in Tampa. It's a meetup for recovering former Evangelicals and Fundamentalists. At first I was startled, having never heard of such. Then I chuckled. But having known recovering alcoholics and the struggles they go through, I felt a wave of sympathy. These people, wanting to do the right thing, were either programmed from childhood or convinced by others that these radical beliefs were the way to go. To their credit, they realized the error of their beliefs and now struggle to make serious changes in their belief system, and endure the struggles needed to make that happen. Chances are high they will remain christians, but less radical.
If you met some of these people, could you show them the empathy and kindness their former religion could not? Without confrontation or pushing our (agnostic/athiest) beliefs at them? Why or why not?

Here's the text of the posting.

"Have you left your evangelical or fundamentalist background? Would you like to have that community feeling again -- but without the judgment and narrow-mindedness this time? Does your family pressure you to re-join a church (or perhaps they have no idea you've even changed your beliefs at all)? Do you crave community with people who know what you're going through? If you answered "yes" to any of those..."