As one of the most visible and boisterous voices on all of cable news, Bill O'Reilly's reputation is defined by his personality and politics more than his faith convictions. But I've long known O'Reilly apart from his public persona, and I've known there's more to him than meets the eye.

With the release and success of the historical page-turnerKilling Jesus (which followed Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy, all co-authored with Martin Dugard), I was eager to explore the spiritual side of a Fox News star. These are the highlights of our conversation.

You grew up Catholic. How big of a role did faith play in your home?

I lived in a traditional Irish Catholic home that didn't deviate very much from what had happened in the past 150 years. We went to church on Sunday, went out to breakfast afterward. There were rituals. My mother wanted me to be an altar boy, so I was. I can compare it to a very working-class, predictable, faith-based situation. It was just: Here are the rules. Here's what we do. There wasn't a lot of why in it.

Did you believe in God?

Yes, I bought into the orthodoxy. When you're a little kid and your parents believe and then the school teaches you, it's an inculcation. I didn't challenge it.

And what about Jesus? Did you believe Jesus was the Son of God?

Oh, yes. Sure. Yes, back then in the late '50s, early '60s when I was in Catholic school, everybody believed it.

What do you believe now?

Pretty much the same. I'm much more sophisticated in my analysis of Roman Catholicism, but the theology I have no problem believing.

The leader of a Christian alternative to Boy Scouts that does not allow gays said the group was "horrified" when news organizations published a photo from one of its meetings in Texas that appeared to show a group of children giving the Nazi "Seig Heil" salute. John Stemberger, the chairman of the board for Trail Life USA, told Business Insider he initially saw the picture in a story that was published on MSN on Saturday.

"We were horrified when we saw the photo in question on the MSN site and immediately investigated the situation," Stemberger said in a statement Monday. "This is what we learned... Many Boy Scout Troops have a tradition of ending their troop meetings with the boys gathering in a circle and then singing the song 'Taps' which is a slow ceremonial piece of music played or sung at the end of the day. The Boy Scouts that do this closing ceremony start singing the song with their hands raised straight into the air with the scout sign and then gradually lower their hands till they get to the end of the song when hands are at their side. This longstanding Boy Scout tradition was being followed with this Texas Trail Life troop using the Trail Life sign."

Stemberger also said the "Trail Life sign/salute is a standard military salute using the full hand with all four fingers."

Trail Life USA was launched in January as a "a faith-based outdoor adventure program" that "unapologetically reflects a Christian worldview." It admits boys who "do not engage in or promote sexual immorality" and are "biologically male." The organization claims to have hundreds of units in 40 states and has attracted children and parents upset with The Boy Scouts of America's decision to allow openly gay members.

The story and photo were syndicated by the Associated Press and were both published in multiple media outlets.

It seems like every time a well-known pastor does a major news interview, or other visible Christian discusses their faith, appears in the secular press, or releases a controversial book, the Internet lights up with critics from the Christian community. We're remarkably quick to "defend the faith" and point out why other believers have got it wrong or don't see things as well as we do. (I especially like the online critics who do it behind a fake name.) I'm all for in-house discussions and debates – and even calling each other to account – but thanks to the Internet, the volume has risen so high, it wouldn't be surprising if the secular world assumed we were splintering and falling apart. I honestly think our stand for Biblical truth would ring far louder if we showed more grace to those out there sharing their faith in difficult places.

Over the years, I've advised and counseled hundreds of Christian leaders who live and work in the public eye. Based on that experience, I'd encourage you to remember these important things the next time you feel like publicly correcting someone:

1. The media highly edits interviews. A critic recently blasted another Christian who in a newspaper interview apparently left out a key section of a Bible passage related to salvation. But before we tear someone like that apart, know that all media interviews are highly edited. I did a 30 minute interview with "Inside Edition" recently and only a single line made it into the finished program. That happens all the time. So we don't know exactly what anyone originally said when we see it played back on TV.

2. Controversy helps the media's ratings. While many media interviews are very cordial, ultimately they want to attract viewers or readers. So it's not unusual for them to re-arrange clips, put scenes out of order, or literally make word-for-word edits to create controversy. Once again – we don't know exactly what that Christian leader told the interviewer, so let's show a little grace.

3. Often, Christians working in legal, political, entertainment, professional sports, or other high-profile places are making a difference in ways we never see. It's often a strategy of "win some, lose some," but what we see in public may be the loss. Before we criticize, remember that these believers are also working behind the scenes, sometimes in hostile environments, sharing their faith in places we don't know. Many times, that's where the most progress for the Kingdom happens.