HN user
jQuery is 84 KB minimized, while Vue is 85 KB. Not much of a difference (although, granted, Umbrella JS is notably smaller). You don't necessarily need Webpack for Vue, you can just include Vue in a script tag and write your code.
I don't want to be "that guy", but haven't most people moved on to something like Vue instead of manipulating the DOM directly? Every developer I've worked with learned the basics of Vue quickly (less than a day) and marveled at how great it was compared to manipulating the DOM through jQuery (or something similar like Umbrella JS). But sure, there are edge cases where jQuery and similar libs still serve a purpose.
HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Vue, and a server-side language such as Python.
Give up trying to argue with them. Instead, try to make a difference by making blog posts, videos, podcasts, etc. about atheism. That way you feel you're doing your part to improve the world, and you avoid the conflict and drama of pointless debates.