Beliefs

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Early this week, I mentioned that JP and I hosted a pair of Catholic priests for dinner last week.  When JP originally mentioned this was a possibility, I thought, "What could be better than a mostly-vegan, non-practicing Lutheran serving steak to a Catholic priest?"  This whole process of getting prepped for our wedding and marriage has opened a box of religion on me, and I thought I would use this blog as my little platform for non-believers.
My family is Lutheran, as in, we went to a Luthern church and I was baptized into that faith.  I think going to church and being part of that community was a great thing, and I love the people I met through my church at home (I'm looking at you, McVeighs!).  However, as I grew up, I grew away from Christianity; this isn't anything against Christian faith, I just found myself grappling with the administrative aspects of the church.  These days I find myself believing in people more than a greater power.  I do think that we put our own energies out into the universe (um, hello hippie part of myself), and we get out of other people what we put into them.  This isn't to say I believe in auras or anything, just that I don't subscribe to a certain religion or church.
JP and I are getting married in the Catholic church, and I've really wrestled with this.  I work at a Catholic university, and am surrounded by a lot of the positive aspects of the faith on a daily basis, but it's incredibly different from how I was raised and what I live by.  I approached the idea of hosting this little dinner party (with one of the priests who is marrying us and his friend at a parish in DC) with more than a smidge of apprehension.
Well, I shouldn't have been concerned.  JP made a wonderful tortilla de patata and flank steak, while I did a green salad and apple pie, and the priests couldn't have been happier.  They were completely lovely, chatting about their travels, sports, and other non-religious topics.  Before leaving, "our" priest blessed our house and, rather than be turned off by the act, I found myself appreciative that they wanted our home to be a happy, well-looked-after place. 
This has been a bit rambling, but I guess I just want to say that we should all live and let live.  There are a lot of people who are all about pushing their beliefs on people, and it's not okay to think everyone should abide by the same religious principles as everyone else.  We're each different, and that's the beauty of churches and ideologies: in a perfect world, there's something out there for everyone.  Be open to new ideas, but don't be afraid to stick with your beliefs if they work for you.  Just smile, pass the priests their steak, and keep munching on your salad.