The thesis of this book is that most people have very little knowledge about other’s religious beliefs, and if they had a better understanding, they might be more tolerant and much of the ill-will and even violence would be dispelled. This book explains the five religious belief systems that the majority of the world’s populations follow. It is not a book that proselytizes or presents dogma with the intent to convince the reader of the rightness or wrongness of one belief over another. Neither does it insist that one must be religious or even believe in God to be a good person.

For the most part, an individual’s spirituality is derived from one’s own culture and heritage and a lack of knowledge regarding specific beliefs can often lead to misconceptions about religious systems not familiar to us. Social media can also cause confusion when the originator of a post may have a specific “agenda” and provide only the information that supports that purpose even though that information is not objective nor does it provide the whole truth.

With better understanding of others’ religious beliefs, it is hoped that greater tolerance for religious diversity will develop and respectful discourse and interactions will result. If this is possible for religious diversity, it could also be useful for other human diversities. A focus of the book is to promote compassionate behavior when dealing with differences with an outlook that our variances can be advantageous and may, in fact, allow for resolution of some of the planet’s most worrisome concerns. Different perspectives through different cultural lenses may together solve universal problems. The book further emphasizes that change begins with each individual and one by one as more tolerance, more respect and greater compassion toward others develop, our world will become a kinder, gentler place.

L. Reynolds Andiric has traveled the world extensively and has had a lifetime interest in different cultures and especially the religious beliefs that people have and practice. Educated as a scientist with many years of experience within the medical field, she has witnessed the importance of spirituality to many people both in the U. S. and throughout the world. She currently lives in St. Augustine, Florida and works as a consultant with the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) as part of the PEPFAR Project.