On "Belief": To the Insiders

Christians should be much more thoughtful when discussing the issue of "belief", especially when non-Christians are around. We often forget that the word "belief" has very strong negative connotations for many people, and that it is often thought of as 'forced' rather than sincere. For those with such connotations of 'belief' it must be quite disturbing to hear about "the importance of belief" and "believing even when God seems to have abandoned you" and especially when hearing ideas like "beliefs are more important than actions." 

This doesn't mean that belief isn't important, but it means that we Christians should think about how our messages will sound to different audiences, and we should clarify on points (like "belief") where the connotations we attach to a word, phrase, or idea might be lost.