For myself, I have characters of all religious denominations--and prejudices. And while I obviously sympathise with my own sect more than with, say, Roman Catholics, I make all my characters equally fallible.
This means that the characters who share my faith can be just as prejudiced and bigoted as the ones who's belief runs counter to mine, according to their own character. My main Supporting Male, for example, would be equally accepting of everyone elses beliefs, whether he were Muslim or Protestant (as it so happens, he's Catholic). And my main Supporting Female would be just a prejudiced and difficult to make see other's points of view no matter her denomination (she's an athiest).
I loathe most "religious" fiction. Of any religious denomination (don't even get me started on Circle of Three, ugh ugh ugh!). The only piece of fiction based around my own religion I've ever enjoyed was "Murder at Witches' Bluff" by Silver RavenWolf, and that was because of one simple thing.
The line between simple belief of your characters and being preachy is, I think, shown by how much you seem to push in your readers face that THEY should be acting this or that way. MaWB left open to interpretation much; having flipped through the first book of the Left Behind series and found the plain craft of the writing seriously lacking, it left nothing open to interpretation.
As my bible-counsellor friend said: "You know there's something wrong with a book when the only interesting character is the Anti-Christ."
In the end, I think it matters most if your characters are sympathetic, or whether they just seem to be tools for the author to show the world The Right Way to Be and Live.
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because Potter's popular and Dark Materials isn't. Wonder why not?
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::laughs:: Because the issues and moral stuff raised in Harry Potter is slipped in like sugar-coated medication, whereas HDM dumps them in your lap and says "Look! issues! Think about them! Oh yes, and while we're at it, we're going to bombard you with complex moral issues, sexuality and multiple worlds, storylines and prophecies!"
^~ I recommend HP to everyone I know who reads, simply because whether you choose to think about the issues it can raise or not, it's still a good story. I don't recommend HDM to many, because I honestly don't think they can handle it. </edit>
[ July 10, 2002: Message edited by: Naaramare ]