Data point: After years of having the correct arguments in my hand, having indeed generated many of them myself, and simply refusing to update, Eliezer, Cectic, and Dan Meissler ganged up on me and got the job done.

I think Jesus and Mo helped too, now I think of it. That period's already getting murky in my head =/

Anyhow, point is, none of the above are what you'd call gentle.

ETA: I really do think humor is incredibly corrosive to religion. Years before this, the closest I ever came to deconversion was right after I read "Kissing Hank's Ass"