America has been characterized as a nation that tolerates many faiths and somehow keeps diversity from dividing her people.<\/p>\n
Exactly how true that is may depend on the person you ask.<\/p>\n
When Akron area people representing a variety of religious persuasions sat in focus groups recently to discuss their beliefs, tolerance became hard work.<\/p>\n
Differences in core values surfaced immediately.<\/p>\n
Are there common beliefs among all people?<\/p>\n
\u201cGod is supreme.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChurch and family.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLove.\u201d<\/p>\n
One person was shaking her head \u201cno\u201d to some of those answers.<\/p>\n
Is there truth?<\/p>\n
One person said no, another said: \u201cThere has to be a truth, there has to be a moral reference point. \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Is this a Christian nation?<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely it\u2019s a Christian nation,\u201d was one quick response.<\/p>\n
But another disagreed strongly: \u201cIt\u2019s not a Christian nation, it\u2019s not founded on the Bible, it\u2019s founded on our two documents.\u201d<\/p>\n
As debate bounced from one side of the table to the other, one woman sat at the end, moving her head as if watching a tennis match \u2014 back and forth. Sometimes she smiled, sometimes she grimaced.<\/p>\n
When the idea was broached that America perhaps is good because it is Christian, she broke her silence.<\/p>\n