Right, you guys. Respect is the key. I enjoy sharing my beliefs because I feel that they are the the highest gift that I could offer to people I care about. My beliefs mean a great deal to me, and I probably wouldn't even be around if I didn't have that. So if I tell someone about what I believe, it is in the spirit of "here is something that has helped me a lot and that I value very much - maybe it will help you too." It isn't meant to imply any put-downs or disrespect to anyone. However, we all need to keep in mind that although we value our beliefs highly, so do people who believe differently value their own beliefs. We may mean to be helpful, but if the message that they hear is that we disagree with what they have already found helpful and what makes sense to them, or if they feel like we are trying to get them to conform to our beliefs, values, standards, etc., it doesn't help and may feel disrespectful to them. Everyone is free to choose, and we can all learn from each other. It is fine to share our beliefs with those who are interested, but we need to be willing to listen just as much, and we need to be able to recognize when someone doesn't want to hear any more too. Sometimes the best way to share your beliefs is simply to live them.

It goes both ways. Some beliefs include more of a belief in spreading the word than others do, while others are more content to quietly find peace and enlightenment for themselves. This can be cultural as well as religious. Wiccans don't seem to proselytise much, and maybe because trying to gain converrts is not something that they emphasize or practice, they have less expectation of hearing others share their message. What do you think?

Certainly, though, Christians are not the only ones who proselytize. I have seen some (but not all) atheists get every bit as pushy as the pushiest Christian can be. That is every bit as offensive to someone who is happy with their own beliefs or just doesn't want to hear it. We all need to respect each other.