Best response to religious haters who let the vitriol fly with little or no provocation: what happened to judge not lest ye be judged? That's one I follow as much as possible. And I don't need dogma to do so.

I heard this somewhere recently: Never argue with a fool. From a distance no one can tell the difference between you and the fool.

You have a point, talking to some folks is like talking to a wall.

They have no point. They ae simply filled with anger, hatred, bigotry, and emotional violence.

I just read where Scientists are saying that the current political system is creating mental health issues. I didn't download, as I can't keep up with so much...But, your post reminded me that a few short years back, at least you would not have that 'George Soros,' connection. That is all over the 'far right conspiracy,' sites as my daughter is hung up on that man and those sites! Plus, I do believe she has gone over into mental illness, now! It is not going to change anytime soon, even if we get trump out...

You get a special kind of person that converts to Judaism. Very, very committed, to complete the process formally. Very few do it. If she has done that there’s no point in engaging them in this particular topic. I am not saying they are all like that but the will of these folks is very strong.

So sad and bloody childish

My wife and I heard Colbert admit the other night that he wasn't on Facebook, which vindicated me! She drank the social network Koolaid nearly a decade ago, while I refused to be "friended" by people who weren't true friends, including many members of my family.

Since 2009 I've kidded folks who were on Facebook that they were members of a mass cult. I even teased my religious family members who'd been hurt by some exchange, saying, "Facebook is of the Devil!" And then, sure enough, I started seeing all those TEDTalks and YouTube videos pointing out the negatives of social media. I sincerely hope, particularly after the recent revelations, that Facebook dies a painful, agonizing death.

I try very hard not to look at anyone as being one of "those people."

I want everyone to get along and be kind--therefore, I must get along and be kind. In order for me to get along and be kind, I feel I must dismantle any separating mental divisions I've created between myself an anyone else.

This is incredibly difficult, and I'm not claiming any great success with it--but I feel strongly it's the right thing to do.

I don't know how to engage productively and peacefully with reactive people whose default mode is strife. Maybe there isn't one. But I'm not okay with giving up. Jesus did say to turn the other cheek...

Your friend has drunk the Kool-Aid. The minute she cites a Soros conspiracy she is declaring herself beyond hope. Give up.

And this is why so many of us have left FB. I've remained due to family I keep up with there.
But it's a serious issue.

Whether to engage or not? Tonight someone was saying Republicans were wonderful for 100s of years - it was a really ignorant meme - and thankfully someone else was able to respond much more clearly than I would have.

Sometimes I stick my 2 cents in anyway despite knowing it's probably as useful as shouting down a well.

I think many of us want to suspend disbelief and still consider that we might change others to a better way? And I reveal more and more often that I'm Atheist when an argument becomes religious AND political - because it leaves them with no ammo. "I don't believe therefore give me an actual scientific or fact based argument".

Being attacked allows for vitriolic retribution. Whether actual or imagined, people want to be slighted because it allows them to justify the horrible in their brains. Engage those who can step away from that and look at things objectively and still retain their own perspective. The rest, smile and nod.

That's because Fox News works hard to indocrinate them, as two different Fox whistle-blowers have said.

Studies show that when fear is removed, people become liberals.

When Conservative people are exposed to long meditation sessions where they are told they are safe and protected, their exit surveys match those of liberals, even if their surveys filled out before the meditation session showed them to be right-wing.

A lot of people like to judge as if they think God himself has appointed them to do so. We have to have thick skins and sharp intellects, often paired with sharp tongues as well. Be yourself. Most people will respect you for that......I hope.

Perhaps that's why I use Facebook so little.