We'd all be much healthier if every one of us-from family members to political and religious leaders-would preface everything we say with: "This is what I believe, but as surely as I assert this, I acknowledge that I'm a limited, fallible human being who, like all others, can be wrong about many things. So with all that understood, here's my opinion…" And then we could say what it is we believe, knowing we've put it into context.

Nowhere would this be more valuable than in the religious setting: "This is what I believe the Bible (the Koran, the Upanishads, the Torah) says, but my beliefs are inescapably shaped by my life experience, family, religious and cultural background, personality, genetic makeup and the mix of chemicals in my brain at this moment. I can't step outside any of these, so I need to very cautious, very humble in asserting my opinion about what God might be saying."

Text and image © 2010 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.