Susan, what works for me is that when someone talks about any belief system, I read it as "This is me, this is what I do," no matter how they meant it. The problem is - or CAN be - concerned with more general things than faith.

There's been a growing tendency to convince other people to believe the same things they do about EVERYTHING. "You don't like the music I do, something's wrong with you," "You don't like the same politician I do, something's wrong with you," "You don't like topics at Mudcat, ways of discussing things, cookies or no cookies, there's something wrong with you." The discussions all end up being about what's wrong with people and what they say, and the topic is buried in the dust. They usually end up being debates about who's right and who's wrong.

I don't have a problem with anybody talking about what they believe. It's the "convincing" part that's annoying to me. Beliefs are part of who people are. The problem is, when you or I start feeling like we're being beaten over the head with any belief, we're either going to become mad (to whatever degree) or bored. Either way, we stop listening.

"Doing a Ha rite for those 'Cats and GUESTS who insult and flame me" is pretty much the same as "I'm going to pray to Jesus to save all of you who insult and flame me." These things MIGHT be meant kindly, but they rarely come off that way to somebody who already doesn't like what you have to say.