I was born and raised Baptist. I was brought up on the teachings of the Bible, and my Pastor is one of the greatest people I know. But I will be the first to admit that Christians are no better when it comes to saying they accept and love people for who they are, then turn around and tear a person down because they are gay, drink, smoke cigarettes, have children and sex out of wedlock, etc. Do we not remember the days of religious persecution?
I coexist. I am an open minded Christian that believes that whatever the people of the world believe to be their personal faith or religion, somebody is right. Somebody is wrong. Who knows? We could all be right or all be wrong. But I will not live my life persecuting others and turning my back on my fellow man because we may not agree on the ways of the world.
Who are we to judge? Isn't that what the Bible says? (Matthew 7) I once dated an atheist and not once did we ever get into an argument about which of us was "right" or "wrong". I never forced my beliefs on him and he didn't force his. People that knew me (both Christian and non) judged me for dating someone that wasn't a Christian like myself. We broke up eventually, but I found out shortly after that that he had become a Christian. People can and do leave a lasting impression.
Even if you are not a Christian, don't believe in God, or have any kind of faith based practices, who are you to judge those that do? Live and let live. We need to quit scoffing and sticking our noses up at people who, God forbid, don't agree with us. Did you ever pause to think that some people just simply don't understand? Next time you are in a conversation with someone with different opinions and world views, respect them and accept the fact that you don't agree. It's amazing the response you will get. Love and respect go a lot further than hate and disparagement.
So I ask, How hard is it to coexist? It's not.
I love this Stacy! There is much truth to this! I find it very disappointing when people who consider themselves Christians but are judgemental of others beliefs or opinions. As they say....we can agree to disagree!! I hope and pray for the best with my family and friends but I will not judge them for who they are and what they believe! I just take it all to prayer and won't be a bible thumper! (They make me crazy!!! Hahaha!). Thanks for sharing-I will be doing the same! :0)
ReplyDeleteIf only everyone thought like that Maggie! There would be so many fewer issues in this world! And I'm with you- I'm a Baptist girl but Bible thumpers drive me nuts. lol. Thanks for reading :)
ReplyDeleteI see your coexistence and raise you...
ReplyDeleteOne night, I was having a conversation with a good friend about science vs. faith. Now, while neither of us think they are against each other, she had a friend (whose parents were chemists or something) who thought that science negated the necessity of faith. My friend's question to her then was, "Why can they not coexist?"
I'm not sure why, but I am not a fan of the words "tolerate" or "coexist". To me, it seems as if the words give permission for people to live along side one another (disagreeing or not) without interacting or engaging, let alone learn from each other. The night of our conversation, the sun was setting and the moon was already out -- two things which essentially do not interact. But on this night, the pastel clouds invaded the space of the moon and it was gorgeous. Not only were the moon and sun coexisting, they were complementing each other and providing an even greater image to behold. A bigger picture, if you will.
To coexist, in my opinion, would be a victory for this society. But imagine a world where we not only live side by side, but we interact and engage with one another in healthy and positive ways. To really listen to each other, to contemplate additional perspective, and to be shown a bigger picture than the one we so narrowly stare at each day. Then, perhaps, we may be able to learn something about what it means to really live.
I love your reply. I'm not a fan of the word "tolerate" either. To me it holds a negative connotation. As if you have to "put up" with the other person, or what they believe, etc. It is condescending. The sky you so artfully described :) is a perfect example of simple reminders that nobody would give a second thought to unless it was brought to their attention. Change begins with awareness. If being fearless in voicing our opinions and bringing otherwise ignored societal topics into focus is what brings change to the forefront of our priorities, then we need to speak up.
ReplyDeletep.s. thanks for reading :)