When someone wouldn't change one's mind, being brutal about the truth rarely helps. But one can be gentle about it. Sometimes however, contradicting one's belief is perceived as a brutal attack no matter what. When I perceive this, I tend to give up.
The most brutal thing of all however is changing your mind. It tend to come with a terrible sense of loss, even though that grief is rarely warranted. Plus, many religious people strongly believe that religious belief is good, even when they're less sure about their accuracy. Tell them something convincing about God not existing, and they could panic. Most of the time, they will cling to their beliefs by sheer force of will.
Personally, I avoid that problem by noticing that I'm not entitled to my opinion. I'm not free to believe whatever I want. I just hope I'm strong enough to let evidence change my mind whenever it should.
The most brutal thing of all however is changing your mind. It tend to come with a terrible sense of loss, even though that grief is rarely warranted. Plus, many religious people strongly believe that religious belief is good, even when they're less sure about their accuracy. Tell them something convincing about God not existing, and they could panic. Most of the time, they will cling to their beliefs by sheer force of will.
Personally, I avoid that problem by noticing that I'm not entitled to my opinion. I'm not free to believe whatever I want. I just hope I'm strong enough to let evidence change my mind whenever it should.