I was raised as a Southern Baptist in Texas. My great-grandfather, Arthur Benjamin White was the oldest commissioned home missionary of the Southern Baptist Mission Board, until his death at the age of ninety-eight. My ancestors on my mother's side were founding members of the Restoration Movement (modern day Churches of Christ). All my life, I was surrounded by people who all believed in the same god but also claimed they had the "one true" interpretation of his religion. My great-grandfather claimed that Baptists were the true church and that the Baptist beliefs were the correct beliefs of Christianity. On the other side, I was told that the only true beliefs were those propagated by the Church of Christ. In my family there are people who are very religious with some being pastors and missionaries to some that are not religious at all. I have family members who are Protestant Christians, Roman Catholic Christians, and Gnostics, Jewish, Deistic, Agnostic/Atheistic and probably other beliefs too.

As a young man and as an adult I researched religion, attended and graduated from Christian Universities and at one point was going to go into the ministry. To this day, I have a thirst to discover truth and religion still fascinates me. People frequently ask me what my beliefs are. I no longer share my beliefs and I have frankly grown tired on the incessant arguing about things that no one can prove one way or the other. My current philosophy concerning religion can be articulated by a great quote I read in Willie Nelson's book, "The Tao of Willie".

"A lot of problems between people could be avoided if each person would realize a simple truth. Your beliefs are YOUR beliefs; they are not other people's beliefs."

Even people who are in the same denomination or sect do not believe everything exactly alike. Religion is a deeply personal thing for everyone. Some people believe that instrumental music is wrong; others believe all consumption of alcohol is wrong. Some people believe that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, some believe he never existed. Some believe Allah revealed the Quran to Mohammed through the angel Gabriel, others do not.

The point I am making is this. No one can force or even convince another to believe anything. It is pointless to get into arguments with others, cause bad feelings, especially between family members, over issues and beliefs that are by their very nature, based upon faith and personal interpretations. So if your beliefs and your religion work for you, if they help you live a better life, help you handle the adversities of life and enable you to fulfill your goals in life, then I am happy for you. Your beliefs are not the exact same as mine, and mine are not exactly like yours. Such is life, such is reality.

The alternative to extending tolerance to others (especially family), is that relationships become strained and people get upset. One only has to look at the two modern places where this lack of tolerance has gone to its logical conclusion. Ireland tore itself apart, hundreds were killed and wounded, fighting over which was true, Catholic or Protestant beliefs. The Middle-east has been torn by incessant religious warfare for thousands of years over whose version of worshipping the same, benevolent and loving deity was the correct version. I choose peace and tolerance for all people's right to believe and to not believe what they want. I hope you do too.