My father was a Catholic Italian and my mom was an Irish Wiccan. They didn't fight about religion, and they both took a very neutral and spiritual view when talking about it to my brother and me. I attended "Sunday School" and then would walk up the stairs of the Sacred Heart Church to attend Mass right after. I always liked the stain glass windows, but not as much as I liked dancing around a maypole during family gatherings on my mom's side. We would sing upbeat songs and dance and thank the earth and moon and stars. As I grew older, I realized that Christianity as a whole has very hypocritical aspects to it. I didn't like how Christians used their religion to excuse their behavior throughout history. I also was uncomfortable with Christian's view and expectations of women. On the other hand, my mother's side of the family could be extremely feminist at times and, (having a brother, father and son who I loved and respected very much) didn't always share their point of view on men and their role in the family either.

In high school, I hit the books. I read the Bible, Koran, Tao Te Jing, some secret religious texts from India, and every piece of Pagan information that I could get my hands on. I went on a spiritual journey that still lingers to this day. And although I have come to the conclusion that organized religion makes me crazy, I still am on a quest for spiritual truth.

This is about where my husband comes in. Brought up Catholic himself, he actually prefers the Baptist Church. After his father's unexpected death, he watched his mother and her sister embark on their own path of spiritual discovery involving Buddhism, Wicca and even Judaism. If you ask his mom what she learned, she will tell you that she has a whole new view of heaven and feels so much more free and full of love than before. My husband supported it and even questioned some his own practices and views that he believed in simply because he was taught to. Although his mom and I take a more spiritually open path, he has settled on Baptism.

My husband and I don't fight about religion or spirituality. It's not that we don't feel strongly about our beliefs. We do. However, we feel that respect and non-judgment are things that all religions preach a lot of, yet practice very little. After all, when you strip the religion down to its barest essential elements, aren't they all saying the same thing? We teach our kids that everyone's belief is important and we also teach them the core premises of all religions: Be kind. Be respectful. Don't judge others. Do the right thing because it's the right thing to do. Every deed comes back to you.

Christians and Non-Christians are coexisting in the same houses and neighborhoods all over the world. All it takes to keep the peace, is to practice what you preach.

Learn more about this author, C.L. Sage.
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