What is it about certain beliefs that make people react from their core? They say one should never talk about religion or politics. Well, I’m going to.
People believe many things. And I feel they have a right to believe as they wish. It’s when that right to believe turns into action and infringes on other’s rights to believe that I take offense.
In this country, there are many different religions, and most of them are Christian. There is one major religion that is not Christian yet follow the same deity. Yet there are other religions including Buddhism and several others that fall under the umbrella of Pagan. Each member of each group has their own beliefs. But what is so important that they feel they have to force others to believe as they do. We’ve seen this for centuries from the very start of any belief where those that felt differently were cast out or killed. And while in most areas people are not murdered for their beliefs, they are pressured to think a certain way.
Why do we push our beliefs out so strongly when it comes to this? Do we think that we need to save as many people as possible and that they are going to hell if we do not? Mine is the one true belief. Uh huh. Sure.
I had a friend one time that found religion. Every time thereafter that I met him, he would tell me things like “If you die tonight, I won’t see you.” It got so annoying that I stopped seeing him. What is so bloody important that you have to make someone miserable by nagging them to change to your beliefs? Why can’t you just accept my desire to believe as I do and let it go?
There are people in this world that are so adamant about their beliefs that anyone who doesn’t believe as they do are not human and need to be killed. This is the attitude of the people that flew hijacked planes into the world trade center nine years ago. Why can’t we just live and let live?
All too many people feel the same way about politics. You have to be for the same person that they are, or you’re just wrong. And many of these people get vehement when talking about it. I don’t see people getting upset about their favorite color or their preference for a stick shift over an automatic.
What is it about these two things that it shakes us to our very roots when someone disagrees with us? Are our beliefs so unsure that we feel we have to convince others thus convincing ourselves? Why do we react with such vigor or violence?
Maybe we should all just take a chill pill. At least that’s how I feel. Feel free to think differently.