There was a time when the church was more than a place where people went to hear about God or to seek comfort in their times of need. It was a place to socialize with friends and neighbors seen only rarely throughout the week regardless of their religious preference or standing in society. Ranchers, farmers, prostitutes, shop owners, and beggars all mingled together dressed in their Sunday best. People who had nothing in common other than that Sunday assembly exchanged pleasantries, discussed the weather, and sometimes forged new friendships.

The grass of the churchyard bore witness to the settlement of many disagreements and the uniting of countless couples in bonds of love and dedication. It was quite simply a place where differences were put aside, if only the briefest of moments, so that a community could stand united and get to know one another in the most neutral of settings. It's been said by many that while religion was taught within the walls. it was kindness that was practiced on the church steps.

Church records from the 1800s often noted the names and religious preferences of those who attended. It was not uncommon for Catholics, Mormons, and even non-believers to attend the Sunday services for aside from the fact there was simply no other house of worship available it was more a gathering of the community as a whole, the teachings were often worded to encourage such. Records from numerous historical societies throughout the South attest that as the Civil War drew to a close both Union and Confederate soldiers often sat side by side, seeking solice from the terrors of war, their differences cast aside.

Somewhere along the way either the church or society changed, perhaps both. There are now clear and distinct differences between churches, even those aligned under similar variations of the same faith. More importantly, there is hatred out there, a distrust that clearly separates those who believe and those who choose not to. It's not simply that some people disagree with Christianity, it's that some people actually hate the church and in a sense, its followers.

There is no other time of year where differences in faith and religion become as apparent as when Christians unite to celebrate the birth of their Lord, Jesus Christ. The ugliness of hatred has already shown itself in our community and throughout the country. Some blame the church's intolerance of other views or their position on the supposed sins of society, still others cast the blame upon the shoulders of hatemongers, those who disapprove of anything contrary to their way of thinking.

We must do something if we hope to quell the rising tide of violent attacks directed at those at their most vulnerable moments, their time of prayer or worship. There's an answer out there and by discovering the source of the hatred we can then hope to solve the problem. Whatever the solution is found to be both sides had best provide it ample consideration for without compromise, or at least an understanding, our society as a whole will likely continue to suffer.

Why do so many despise a religion that should, and I say should, preach both tolerance and understanding?