Ask them if it's particularly self centric of themselves to think that an all powerful being would want to lavish its attention on earth humans, if yes, try to go for answers that don't involve holy texts, as those have a tendency to go in circles.
I would also like to know, how a reasonable religious person would tackle the problem the question of our place in the existence of the universe. It doesn't really seem to me that an all powerful would intentionally bring humans into the fold in such relatively frail bodies relative to a universe where even putting a naked human in a mildly harsh place would render such a being incapable of living very long let alone other planets and in space.
Perhaps if one of their driving factors into believing in the Christian sacred texts is for the metaphorical meanings, would they seeing an act of reading other sacred texts an offence to their beliefs? If they assume the compilers of the Bible were doing it in genuine belief that they are doing a good thing, then it has to be also assumed that the other prophets and compilers/writers of the sacred texts belonging to other religions would be also be doing it because they also believe that they are genuinely doing good/God's work.
It's not an invitation or converting effort, but if they are into religion for spiritual purposes only, perhaps they could broaden the horizon and get accounts of God from different sources and perspectives?
Also, the problem of evil is always a good conversational topic, though people who are either incredibly devout or not up to the task of explaining or thinking about the subject would get a little flustered in my experience. Changing the subject with a sex joke is a good way to diverge of that beaten path is it's not going well.
I would also like to know, how a reasonable religious person would tackle the problem the question of our place in the existence of the universe. It doesn't really seem to me that an all powerful would intentionally bring humans into the fold in such relatively frail bodies relative to a universe where even putting a naked human in a mildly harsh place would render such a being incapable of living very long let alone other planets and in space.
Perhaps if one of their driving factors into believing in the Christian sacred texts is for the metaphorical meanings, would they seeing an act of reading other sacred texts an offence to their beliefs? If they assume the compilers of the Bible were doing it in genuine belief that they are doing a good thing, then it has to be also assumed that the other prophets and compilers/writers of the sacred texts belonging to other religions would be also be doing it because they also believe that they are genuinely doing good/God's work.
It's not an invitation or converting effort, but if they are into religion for spiritual purposes only, perhaps they could broaden the horizon and get accounts of God from different sources and perspectives?
Also, the problem of evil is always a good conversational topic, though people who are either incredibly devout or not up to the task of explaining or thinking about the subject would get a little flustered in my experience. Changing the subject with a sex joke is a good way to diverge of that beaten path is it's not going well.
