...we learned how to balance having differences with expressing differences...
I think (am I wrong Bill?) that if you wanted to express yourself in my direction on a belief of yours, knowing that it differed from mine-- well, I like to think I'd listen to you, because you're a friend. I might even learn something, in gaining new info or in contrasting your idea with mine and thereby learning more about mine. Or both.
But mostly we talk about other stuff.
[Hm, that was hard to put into words]
[more brightly-- easily] And I VALUE that Bill's ideas spring from/stand upon/involve ideas, beliefs, and processes that differ from mine, because I KNOW people can tend to miss stuff due to wearing blinders. I THINK Bill must realize that that may be true of himself as well... but if I say something that has years of "ministry" experience behind it, Bill uses his own tools to look at what I said, not mine. He may KNOW where it came from, but I don't bother to preface my thought with all that. And that's exactly what I would expect him to do....
In other words, we don't try to use our "beliefs" to prove any particular point. I think we must expect the points to stand on their own and to stand up regradless of the lens one may put on to get a closer look.