Mateus, I really like your point about not being offended by traditions that seem “strange.” Sometimes judgements can cloud our ability to connect with others (and also I personally believe that most people have a really strong intuition about when they are being judged, no matter how hard the judger tries to conceal his/her judgment). It is also the case that feeling offended in and of itself — as an emotion — does not tangibly benefit anyone and only strains relationships with our Near-Eastern Christian friends.
