I attended a nonviolently facilitated conversation with anti vaxxers this week, and enjoyed the opportunity to hear directly from the other sides mouths what they believe and their experience.Because it was facilitated, we spent most of the time purposefully talking about feelings and reflecting them, rather than debating beliefs. I found myself wanting to do the latter after hearing so many feelings!One person said you 'need a control group to do real science' and voluntold herself as such, decrying 'the agenda' behind vaccinationAnother said she left an oppressive Islamic country to come here and shed tears that America has become 'as oppressive as Islam'A doctor shared that she left her job because of her beliefs, and has lost most of her friends as well.That's heavy stuff! Through the conversation I realized that I could not back up my belief in science with as many facts as they could theirs, since they skeptically did all their own research while I essentially just trust scientists. As such, they stated that my belief was essentially also based in faith.Well, they're not entirely wrong, but I don't need to do the science myself to trust the rest of the world when it independently comes to the same conclusion 😅.I relished the opportunity to have a facilitated conversation with people who disagree with me, as that skill is all the more valuable amidst todays culture wars that mostly play out online.