Paula

This approach may work for many, but there are always some who only recognize strength and take even the slightest sign of politeness as weakness and concession. Being gentle to such people is like blood in the water to a piranha.

On the other extreme, there are people who take even the slightest disagreement, no matter how politely stated, as hate and aggression. They call discernment “divisive” and proving your argument from scripture “gymnastics”. Then they garner sympathy from others for your “harsh” treatment of them, in order to win by instilling false guilt for what is really their own thin skin.

The trick is in identifying what kind of person you’re dealing with. My point being, there isn’t a “one size fits all” approach to either evangelism or disagreement. Just as we argue against the notion that all men are this while all women are that, we should also guard against the notion that all who disagree with us on an issue are going to respond favorably to one approach.