"You won't change anyone's mind by bashing their beliefs!" This comment, and others like it, can be found on just about any apologetics ministry on the internet. It doesn't even matter how successful they are. If they've converted hundreds of people, there will always be the perpetually offended "victims of hate speech" who insist they're doing it wrong.
The first problem is the definition of "bashing". A reasonable person might think bashing someone's beliefs means the usual troll-like behavior seen in the rest of the comments section. The use of unnecessary insults, "clever" slogans that really don't contribute any useful information, verbal abuse, even threats. But the majority of the people who say we shouldn't bash other people's beliefs aren't just referring to unkind and unnecessary words, but to literally any expression of dissent. It doesn't matter how reasonable, it doesn't matter how polite, if you disagree with someone in any capacity, and have the audacity to say so, that's "bashing".
Such people are probably not familiar with the testimony of Nabeel Qureshi. Nabeel Qureshi was a Christian apologist. When he was still a Muslim, he soon became best friends with a Christian, David Wood. They would frequently discuss Christianity vs. Islam until eventually, David's persistence paid off. God used David to convince Nabeel Qureshi that Christianity is true.
But for today's article, what we're interested in is what came after. Nabeel eventually confessed to David that when he was a Muslim, even if David had provided ample evidence for Christianity, to the point where Nabeel was 99% sure it was reliable, he was still 100% sure Islam was the truth.
We see, then, that apologetics is a war on two fronts. It's not that you can't change people's views by bashing them, but that you cannot change people's minds without attacking their false views. If you need a text to say that, go to 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, which talks about destroying arguments and every lofty opinion that sets itself against the knowledge of God.
There is, of course, some merit to the claim that we shouldn't "bash" other people's beliefs. 1 Peter 3:15-16 warns us very strongly to keep a clear conscience when we witness, sanctifying Christ as Lord. If someone rejects the Gospel after it has been given to them, that's their sin. You still have to preach the Gospel correctly, however. Gentleness and respect is essential. Deliberately avoiding specific subjects, however, is not. It is the fear of man over the fear of God.