Echoing conflicts in society, some observers argue social work education should exclude religious students while others argue social work education should exclude gay students. Instead of perpetuating this conflict, I suggest educators should transcend it and affirm the voices of both religious believers and lesbians and gay men. After noting points of agreement with Dessel, Bolen, and Shepardson, I clarify some misunderstandings, respond to their arguments about new class theory and social work pedagogy, and suggest strategies to foster a learning environment that supports diversity and difference. By creating a culture that engenders respect for people with differing worldviews, perhaps we can model a new form of civil interaction for a wider society increasingly characterized by misunderstandings, conflict, and violence.