I’ve recently been getting more attention from atheist commenters, due largely to my posts about what religion is good for and my interview with Leah Libresco about her new book, Arriving at Amen . Most of these visitors have been reasonably polite, contrary to the usual stereotype (sorry, guys, but comment boxes seem to bring out the worst in people, and it always applies to people on both sides), and I’ve been having enjoyable conversations with 3vil5triker and Ragarth.

And then once in a while I get a post that is rude, juvenile, mean-spirited, dismissive, and attributes to me or to other commenters a caricature of Christian belief that reflects a lack of understanding about what the Church actually teaches. I usually ignore these, as there’s no point in conversing with people who only want to throw brickbats. It’s like wrestling with a pig: you get all muddy, and the pig enjoys it.

But for the benefit of anyone who actually wants to have a conversation, I’d like to explain what this blog is about, and how I approach conversation with non-Catholics.

First, I’m primarily writing to other Catholics, and assuming a certain shared ground of discussion.

I take Church teaching as authoritative. I try to understand it, and I try to write about it clearly so others can understand it. I believe it makes rational sense; and the Church in no way asks me to check my mind at the door.

I’m not writing to win arguments, and I do not view commenters as my opponents. Rather, I’m writing to explain what I believe, and when appropriate to indicate why I think it reasonable.

Famously, there’s no proposition so ludicrous that some philosopher hasn’t declared it to be true. Even when we are reasoning at our best, we are likely to have missed something; and there’s usually a strong element of choice in what we believe. It’s unlikely that I’m going to argue cogently enough to override your previous intellectual commitments.

Although I believe that the Catholic faith is rational and true, my faith isn’t based on trust in my own intellect but on trust in Jesus Christ. My acceptance of Church teaching is based on this trust in Jesus Christ.

Although you may have some notion of what Christians believe, my experience is that it’s an incomplete notion at best; and given the plenitude of Christian denominations it might have little bearing on what Catholics actually believe. I’ll try not to make assumptions about what you believe, if you’ll try not to make assumptions about what I believe.

And by “what Catholics actually believe,” I mean, “what the Catholic Church teaches.” What the Church teaches is written down; it isn’t simply a matter of one Catholic’s opinion, or the impression that you might have gotten from a media report of an off-the-cuff remark made by a bishop somewhere.

I don’t mean to imply that I understand everything the Church teaches. I’m still learning, and I expect to continue to do so for the rest of my life.

You’re not going to convert me to atheism.

It is not my goal to convert you. Mind you, I’d be ecstatic if you came to the Catholic faith through reading my blog. But I’m not a salesman, and I’m not here to do a sales pitch. I’m here to talk about the Catholic faith. And in your case, to clear up any misunderstandings you might have.

I cannot argue in such a way as to compel you to accept the truth of the Catholic faith. I can at least try to help you to see clearly what it is you’re rejecting. You’ve got objections? We can talk about them. You’ve been mistreated by Christians? Alas, we’re sinners. We do that all to often. I’ll try not to.

You wanna talk? We’ll talk. You wanna be nasty? Really, why bother?