How to Talk About Religion

In his Kansas City Star religion column this week, the Rev. Vern Barnet, emeritus minister of Community Resources for Exploring Spirituality in Kansas City, Mo., offers tips for engaging in respectful and meaningful conversations about religion. Among them, begin with a question that gives the other person a chance to express deep feelings about what's sacred, spend some time just listening, and focus on personal stories rather than who's "right" and "wrong." —Heather Wax