Wow. I've actually had a conversation like this with my brother. He was going to an ultra conservative seminary at the time. Kept making outlandish statements about the inerrency of the bible and women ministers. He made one comment about dinosaurs and I wasn't sure he was joking or serious, so I let it go. He's mellowed out a lot since then. A lot of people around her go down to the Creation Museum in Kentucky. Mom tried to talk me into go once. that ain't going to happen.
My wife's sister wouldn't let her kids celebrate Halloween because it was the devil's holiday for a long time. Don't know what mellowed her out, but she's hooked on the Twilight books now. Go figure.