Pure iron oxidizes without the high carbon content to make it stainless and will absolutely rust if you don’t at least oil it after washing with soap, but seasoning it properly definitely makes a difference in how it cooks.

I own 4 different size/shape cast iron and I speak from experience. Any decent dish soap will still strip the oils that are acting as a barrier to the open air and oxidation, doesn’t have to be lye-based

Ye’olde worm-brain is another example

There’s an axiom I don’t know the provenance of:

“You can’t reason someone out of a position they didn’t reason themselves into”

It’s not about the truth to them it’s about making the scary unknown go away so they can get on with their lives. Nevermind the fact that their ignorance is causing their own demise and that of everyone else…

It takes an emotional shock, most of the time, to break that kind of deathgrip on a false reality