How can I change the mind of a deeply devoted believer?

I don’t believe that I should attempt to change the mind of a deeply devoted religious believer to atheism or an atheist to fundamentalist Christianity. I’m inclined to agree with Baggini’s suggestion to keep an open-minded committed to truth and rational inquiry.

However, does this mean that I can never engage in a discussion with someone who might hold a well-formed ideology? No. I think it behooves me to learn as much as I can about multiple views so if I encounter someone who wants to talk about their views, I can listen with understanding and pose some questions about issues that I have difficulty with to engage them in the discussion.

For me, probably one of the best model’s to follow in this approach is Abraham Lincoln.

Here are five tips from Ed Mannino ( http://edmannino.com/blog/abraham-lincoln-trial-lawyer/) about President Abraham Lincoln who was a noted trial lawyer before he became President.

Tips

1. Prepare and be diligent.

Lincoln once observed that “The leading rule for the lawyer…is diligence.” The first obligation of the trial lawyer is to meticulously gather, sort, and understand the facts of the case. He captured the importance of preparation memorably by stating “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

In Lincoln’s view, rhetoric will not save sloppy preparation. As Lincoln put it, “If anyone, upon his rare powers of speaking, shall claim an exemption from the drudgery of the law, his case is a failure in advance.”

2. Use logic and detachment.

Historian Julie Fenster has described Lincoln as having had a scientific mind. In his trial work, he favored the use of logic to advance the theme of his cases, rarely resorting to emotion or flowery rhetoric. Lincoln would often, in closing argument, carefully recite what he believed to be the opposition’s best case and then tear it down point by point. His law partner William Herndon described Lincoln’s trial approach as being the “patient but relentless unfolding of a case…reasoning through logic, analogy and comparison.”

3. Develop the key facts, and let your theme emerge from them.

Lincoln would select the facts he perceived as the critical facts, and utilize only them in his presentation. With those facts as the base, he would let his theme emerge from them, and tie his argument to them. Lincoln believed, as most top trial lawyers do, that “less is more.”

4. Ignore small points.

Lincoln would typically concede points made by his adversary when he saw them as unimportant in the overall context of his case theme. His focus was always on that point or points which his diligent preparation had identified as the heart of his case. In other words, don’t lengthen a trial by using a kitchen sink approach of dumping all the facts in front of the jury box. This only bores the jurors, obscures what is necessary to win your case, and unduly lengthens the trial.

5. Use simple language.

Adam Gopnik has aptly described Lincoln’s style in the Gettysburg Address as “summation by simplicity.” Lincoln employed the same approach in his trial work. He used simple language, particularly at the end of his closing argument, where single syllable words predominated. As he told one of his partners, it is necessary to “shoot down low, and the common people will understand you…If you shoot too high your bullets will go over the heads of the masses, and only hit those who need no hitting.” This also required a conversational style of talking with — rather than to — the jurors. Lincoln would take the jurors with him on a guided tour of the facts and logically set the base for them to draw the right conclusions. This, he rightly believed, would lead to a verdict for his client in most cases.