I understand. I wasn't suggesting that folks “slam the door” in anyone’s face, telling them, “buzz off heretics.”
When the missionaries of various sects, especially the LDS, come to my door, I usually invite them in and offer them a cold drink. And listen. And then make the case why I disagree with them. But I find that we - the missionaries and I - can have civil discussions without denigrating what each of us holds holy. No one refers to the Blessed Sacrament in degrading terms. No one ridicules anyone’s undergarments.
It's true that I haven't converted anyone on the spot, so maybe I'm a failure as a Christian, LOL. But perhaps a seed or two have been planted along the way.
But what I don't do is try to paper over things by saying, “Oh, we just aren't communicating successfully.” In fact, one pair of LDS folks tried to go down this path with me, basically saying, well, you know, perhaps we're talking past each other, maybe we have different frames of reference, we're all praying to the same God, etc.
I told him that I begged to differ. I understood pretty well what the LDS say about the nature of God, and I reject it. The discussion was pointed, but still courteous.
And honest.
sitetest
My inclination is to do that though, any encounter that I manage to survive in which I don't do that is little short of miraculous.
I'm not suggesting that everyone has to approach this the way I do, even though I'm inclined to do that sometimes also. I also think that in the post to which you are referring I said more than "oh we just aren't communicating successfully". Not a lot more, but then every post doesn't have to be a complete statement of faith.