A secular professional of the Christian persuasion is careful not to push his views on his colleagues. Yet he senses unease about religion in any form, he says.

Many in our society know little about religion, including Christianity. They are not so much antagonistic toward faith as uneasy. They view religious people somewhat like they view a nice salesperson who loves his product but which the nonreligious person could care less about. To others, all religion seems extreme, full of adherents who are angry and judgmental and want to force the uncommitted  to follow their way, as in the days of the Spanish Inquisition.

To the religious, religion seems natural. To the nonreligious, religion seems irrelevant.

Religion to the non-religious isn’t about hope and healing for the hurt and wounded. It’s the hatreds that spawned 9/ll. It isn’t about submission to eternal truths but about women being forced to endure physical abuse because God wills women to be subservient. It isn’t linking to truths about purpose and meaning but ignoring closed minds and name-calling.

A disconnect exists like two ships passing in the night. A suggestion for connection: What happens if those with faith live so that the nonreligious envy what they see?