Reeves's tolerant views are echoed by fellow born-again daytimer Hunter Tylo (Taylor, BOLD & BEAUTIFUL). "Some people have the opinion that Christianity is too critical of other religions and does not tolerate other forms of God," shares the actress. "My opinion is if you really understand what Christianity is, then you'll recognize that one of the most important sections of the Bible talks about judging other people. If anything, I say, 'Well, if this is what you believe, just read in the Bible about who Jesus is, and the Holy Spirit will direct you.'"

Until recently, Austin Peck (Austin, DAYS OF OUR LIVES), never held back when it came to preaching the good word to co-stars. "I've come a long way in the manner I speak the gospel and talk about God," admits Peck. He was born again in October 1997 after being enlightened by his sister, and suspects he might one day pursue the ministry. "At first I was more fire and brimstone. I didn't use a lot of brimstone in the way I spoke. I wanted to tell everybody about the revelation because I was so excited. Twice, I condemned people, and right after, I realized that I'd made a judgment, which is not mine to discern."

Reeves can sympathize with Peck's genesis. "While I might not agree with the way [Peck] has been going about it, it's new for him, and he's excited about it," smiles Reeves. "It's understandable. A person who really impresses me with his public testimony is Jonathan Jackson (Lucky, GENERAL HOSPITAL). Just his profession of faith, and his spirituality, and how he follows Jesus. Man, for a kid that young to be that grounded..."

It's true that Jackson never misses an opportunity to praise the Lord when he's accepting an acting honor. Yet on the GH set, the 16-year-old born-again actor leaves ministering the word to others. "I've never presented Jesus in a car salesman sort of way," asserts Jackson. "I don't believe in that for me. I don't want to turn anyone away because they're feeling pressured. The most positive influence I've had is people seeing the kind of life I'm living and the way I treat people. If people ask where that comes from, I'll say it comes from Jesus. And I'm definitely not ashamed of that."

Each of the actors we spoke with voiced their immense gratitude to God for granting them good fortune. And perhaps none more than Reeves, who credits God for saving his once troubled marriage to Melissa (Ex- Jennifer, DAYS). "A lot of people have come up to me. They ask about my marriage: Why is it such a strong marriage and how did we survive the ups... and the downs. I totally attribute it to my faith and to God. I attribute all of our success now to our faith. That gave us most of the strength we have. And, " he adds with a chuckle, "leaving the media out of it."

Avoiding the press has not been an option for Tylo during the past year, which has been one of intense triumph (her successful lawsuit against Aaron Spelling) and tragedy (newborn daughter Katya's medical problems). Through it all, Tylo proclaims that her faith helped her stand tall. "This is a broken-down world we live in because of sin," she declares. "No matter what happens, He [God] wants me to look to Jesus for help and to use that name to overcome all those things that come at me."

Jackson is relying on faith to help him through a dilemma-- reconciling his strong beliefs with a medium that often sensationalizes sexual situations. "It's a really tricky thing. I'm still in the midst of trying to figure out what contradicts my belief," the young Emmy-winner confesses. "At the same time, I have to remind myself that I'm an actor playing a character. It's a real gray area. But I'm okay with it as long as my scene is not anti-God. I don't think I could personally feel real comfortable playing a gay character. [Homosexuality] is a very tricky subject... I'm definitely not willing to write anyone off because of it. There's plenty of straight guys who are cheating on their wives and seeing prostitutes."

Since Jackson's character is a teenager struggling to figure out a lot of things, premarital sex between Lucky and Lizzie could present a moral dilemma. "Luckily, I haven't had a conflict with sex stuff yet," Jackson sighs with relief. "I don't know how I'm going to deal with that. That really contradicts what I believe, but I've got to keep in mind that I'm not Lucky, and I can't make a living doing only Christian projects. I just hope [the producers] would talk to me about it first. Being a minor, I'm sure I could protest to [ensure] the decency of how it's done. I know that I don't want to be half-naked like Brenda and Jax."

A decision which requires no soul searching is Jackson's own personal take on sex: none till marriage. "I've been successful so far," he smiles, "and I'm going to keep on going." Jackson isn't alone in the celibacy department. Scott and Melissa Reeves waited until the were wed to become intimate. "Let me tell you, that was the hardest thing I ever did," reveals Reeves. "But it was also the smartest."

And for all DAYS's female fans lusting after hunky Peck, well, the actor has sworn off sex until he finds the woman he chooses as his bride. Peck believes this kind of sacrifice makes religion a hard sell. "Christianity is really difficult for people to encounter because it directly conflicts with what people like to do and what they think is okay to do," offers the actor, who confides that he's lost friends who were unable to tolerate his new lifestyle. "The Bible says fornication is a sin, and the wages of sin is death. But with men, sex is the biggest thing. They don't even want to consider that sex could be wrong and they wouldn't be able to do it. The coolest thing is that when you accept Jesus into your heart, your love for Him grows greater. Your desire to do His will increases as you move away from sin."

Reaction from co-stars is mixed. "Tony Geary [Luke] and I get in heated conversations all the time," admits Jackson. "A lot of what we believe is different-- and a lot is parallel. John Ingle [Edward] came up to me recently to tell me that he really appreciated an interview I gave about Jesus."

Causing a greater stir is Peck's traveling pulpit over at the DAYS studio. Several actors feel that Peck and the other religious cast members have gone overboard in the past. And then there's Bryan R. Dattilo (Lucas). "Bryan gave himself to the Lord in June," announces Peck like a proud papa. "Sometimes, I fail. Sometimes I succeed. God says, 'Be as gentle as doves and be as wise as serpents.’ There are times when I've learned the best thing to do is just back off."