Interesting post I found in a newsgroup

[Sal1981]

Sal1981 wrote in part:

Problem with such an approach is that we already have a very good idea of what "spiritual" experiences are, this author has yet to acknowledge that or is simply ignorant about it. There have been plenty of research in peoples "spiritual" experiences and have conclusively and verifiably found them to be unrelated to anything in the real world other than brain phenomena.

Ignorance is very pervasive.  Just because you know something, doesn't mean anybody else also knows it.  That being said, you cannot educate people very well in an hostile environment.  People learn better when they are more relaxed.  

So, maybe instead of starting off with, "You ignorant, superstitious fool," why don't we try starting off with, "How do you explain that in a way we can study it?"  Sometimes when people see things in a new perspective they will change their minds at it.  But, if all they are thinking about is how to defend themselves from ridicule, they will be far less likely to change their minds.  In fact, they are going to entrench themselves in what they think they know and defend it to their death.  

Many in American society hate atheists.  If you are okay with that, then don't try to change others' opinions about atheists.  If you don't like being in the minority and being hated, you might explaining yourself with more compassion towards the listener.

I'm just pointing out that his claimed findings and research in the "spiritual" aren't valid.

He seems to think we should spend even more time that we already have invested into futile exploits.

As for the attitude, the author has already pointed out that he doesn't want to engage with skeptics, so there's no way in changing his attitude with pussy-footing and packaging it in more digestive words. Some people are simply lost causes, and I'm inclined to think that this author is one of those lost causes. Although that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to get other people on the fence to see things from a more objective and rational view.