I wrote ...it's really difficult to have a rational conversation on personal beliefs without some strong emotion, because if the beliefs are not the same then at some level you have to believe that the other person is wrong (in the sense of "mistaken") -- and also understand that the other person believes you are wrong. It's difficult to have the words that come out of that conflict not cause some distress.

This ignores these conversations where someone's going to flat out say "you're wrong and here's why"... is it possible to have light in those without heat? I suppose it's a case of if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. We have the option here of not engaging in the conversation -- don't participate in the thread. Or if you must, figure out how to reassure yourself that that assault to your beliefs is not necessarily an assault on you as a person.

~ Becky in Tucson
realizing that once you get yourself involved, sometimes it's hard to get out clean...

and contemplating conversation and metaconversation...