How important is it to believe in God?

I always thought it was ultimately important "Before I went to India and Nepal in 1985 and 1986".

However, when I went to Bodhgaya to receive the Kalachakra Initiation from the Dalai Lama with 500,000 others from all over the world I realized how amazingly Kind Tibetan Buddhists are. And the Focus of Tibetan Buddhism isn't focusing on God but rather compassion towards oneself and all beings in the universe. I found this very powerful and eye opening. 

This allowed me to accept more that there are many ways to enlightenment beyond what I understood before this.

Enlightenment is how literally everyone on earth can survive this century by using the right methods of compassion towards themselves and all beings in the universe.

So, though I prefer to believe in God and Jesus as a mystical Christian I also now see myself as someone who practices kindness towards all beings in the universe including myself.

By God's Grace