Thanks so much for your reply nowheretorun. My own opinion is that each person has a path to walk. I'm very comfortable with my spiritual life. I don't believe it is the only way to salvation, just my way. I don't even feel the need to defend it or have others conform to my way of doing things. If you find comfort, guidance and enlightenment on your path, then you're doing it right.

My husband has had a bitter experience with this particular religion and was quite jaded about it in his youth and early adulthood. Actually it was one specific individual. I've managed to convince him over the years that to hold onto that bitterness and exclude God from your life because of one person or one group of people is quite silly and harmful only to himself.

This has been a very long process. Even when hubby said he didn't believe, God still took care of us and understood that hubby's attitude came from a place of pain and anger. During one discussion I listed some of the miracles that we've experience, large and small, and asked my husband to give me an explanation other than Divine intervention. A light finally came on, and while I won't say he's at peace he's definately on his path.

And discussing this with all of you has brought some things to light that I did not really realize before. At our family gathering when the conversation turned to our beliefs my husband did not respond as he previously would have. Perhaps it was this very change that prompted Aunt X's behavior.

But the fact still remains that we don't need to change. I'm trying very hard to remain tactful. You'd think this would be easier to deal with because I'm secure and do not feel the need to debate who's beliefs are "right". When you get down the bare bones about it, we share the same beliefs, just different rituals in expressing them.