As a Christian or otherwise, do you feel the need to defend your...

When I was a little girl I was the only gentile in a heavily Jewish neighborhood at the end of World War II. My family wasn't particularly religious but they had an idea that my blonde hair and blue eyes might not fit in at the local public school. They sent me to Catholic school where I was one of two non-Catholics.

As such I felt a shrinking feeling every time the nuns talked about being baptized - I wasn't; going to confession - I couldn't, or talking Holy Communion - I'd surely have gone to Hell on the spot if I had. I was made to understand that there was only one true religion and it was Catholicism and since I wasn't one of them, I could expect to roast in Hell fire for eternity. This was so disconcerting to me and I really longed to belong, but after a total of 10 years in Catholic school my questioning mind kicked in and I lost the desire to be one of them.

My parents were still not religious, but I figured out that if I got a boy to take me to church on Sundays, I could get a "date" out of it. Oh how spiritual, but it sure worked for me. I had no concept of an us-vs.-them mentality when it came to religion. I had, after all been exposed heavily to Catholicism, and to Judaism only by association with the kids in my neighborhood, but they were nice kids and so were there parents, so what was the difference?

About the middle of my twenties I made the conscious decision to follow the teaching of Jesus and for a while I was fairly defensive about it because I thought I should be able to defend myself against whatever was coming. I had joined a pretty fundamental church and the fear of the anti-Christ was running high. Don't get me wrong, I haven't changed my fundamental beliefs in Christ, but I also don't find the need to mount my charger and go do battle in the Holy Lands any more.

Perhaps it's the process of aging or the wonderful equanimity that comes from realizing that I don't have to become the defender of the True Cross. God needs me to behave like I have some principles, but He's definitely in charge and can take very good care of Himself without my blustering. Unlike the days of Catholicism and absolutes, I no longer believe that lucky little me found the only pathway to Heaven.

I will follow the way that leads through Jesus Christ. I teach it in Sunday School and I am willing to talk with people about it, but I don't believe the best method of "converting" people is to tear off pages of the Bible and shove it down anyone's throat. I've got my story to tell and if I find someone who is interested I simply tell them how it worked out for me in my life and offer to share more if they are interested. Much as I would love to have the zeal of Billy Graham, I think that I can be of some use in my own quiet way.

In my middle years I lived in a small Pacific Northwestern community where there were only half a dozen Jewish families, practically no Asians and not a soul from India. We all said we were Protestants with a sprinkling of Catholics. It was never a challenge to defend anything when everyone looked the same. Then I moved back to Los Angeles where I was thrown into several million other people of every skin color and culture. I heard of religions I'd only read about and even though I had spent my years as a Christian, I now saw the beauty of worship from so many others.

It now occurs to me that if God made us all in His image, that he certainly loves each and every one of us. I simply can't find any fault in people who are on their spiritual journeys following religions other than the one to which I adhere. Maybe it would be a good thing in the long view of the world if we all just tried to get along and quit trying to defend the side of God that we claim for our own. It's just not a contest.