Daniel Florien has some excellent advice for atheists/agnostics who come out to their family members and have to deal with criticism as a result.
He goes into depth on each point, but here’s a rundown of his list:
- Don’t Return Criticism
- Be Sympathetic
- Talk to Them Privately
- Disagree Calmly
- Emphasize Your Open-Mindedness
- Admit When You’re Wrong
- Don’t Tell Them They’re Wrong
- Listen, Listen, Listen
- Focus on Areas of Agreement
- Love Them Anyway
Is there anything else you would add?