I get challenged with my beliefs probably once a week directly. It was actually yesterday, on the bus home. I know practically half the local bus drivers. So, this driver and I got into the topic of religion. I notice there is a "christian-culture" in this area. When you relate to someone as christian (and they are too), at bare minimum, you both believe in god, jesus, and salvation. You're supposed to keep each other "in the team." Even if it meant biting ones tongue over denominational differences.
So, I told her I was Catholic but I stopped practicing christianity and no longer wanted to follow Christ's teachings.
The rest of the bus ride (we had a "to be continued" session) she did two things
1. Trying to figure out why I left christianity
2. How to get me to see why I "decided" incorrectly-maybe you're still searching; when I was your age; what's another one, um.....
How many of us can genuinely say that we respect another person's right to hold beliefs that don't coincide with our current beliefs?
All I can say is that I find it a constant challenge and I don't always manage it!
My beliefs have certainly evolved over the course of a single lifetime.
By what criteria are we going to decide whose beliefs are "right" and whose are "wrong"?
Yes. Yes. I know. I am taking all the fun out of the forum
Enough preaching! How about song -
I do not respect a person's beliefs if it has anything to do with coercion, conversion, or harm (physical, mental, so have you). I don't like the "if you follow us, you'll be fine..." or "I wan't to understand your religion but only to tell you you decided incorrectly." or "I want to relate to you to tell you since I found the wrong path,
maybe you have too."
NO other religious I know has a direct "I am right and are wrong" statements and approach but christians. I mean, I have had some Muslims give me a weird expression.
However, even with that, when I finished my chanting in the spiritual-room at our college, a Muslim said, "your chanting is beautiful. What do you practice?" (This was less than a year ago)
On the other token, my friend I've known over ten years, when I took the sacraments, and I told her "I can't just give up to say THIS is the only way" and she says "it takes time..."
I respect people. I have a high sensitively level in regards to disrespect not just morally but all around immediate body responds to it.
But, because you cannot astract jesus from a christian, you can't say the religion is separate than the person who practices it. So, there has to be some sort of directness.
With my other friend who is evangalistic, she asked me after telling her my disagreements with christianity, she says "you don't like my religion do you?"
I tried to look her in the eye and said, "No, I don't."
It probably ruined the friendship then since I keep hearing more god slurs etc thereafter, but if you're keep splitting hairs with people and their beliefs than you not being honest with the people who believe it.
I don't respect my friend because her views of support does not put another person's needs and support first before god's. Yes, there are a lot of other aspects about her that I support-her family role, her role as my friend, etc but that
part of her, no, I do not respect.
We can't respect everyone but we can act in ways that show our
unconditional love so there are no reservations behind your compassion and no ill intentions if you hate someone you don't mind having coffee with.
It's a balancing act.
What criteria to say who's right or wrong,
yours (or your god's etc). Yours. If you follow a religion(s), that's your guide. My morals says "thou shall not kill" so, I will not kill. It says do not speak ill about other people in a discompassionate way, so I rather be blunt a tell them just that. It's easier to type it than it is to say it,
but I honestly feel that people will respect you more if you're honest about how you feel about
them and their belief not just saying "hate the sin and love the sinner."
This phrase isn't just for christians.