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Belief is not Enough. Over the years I have heard many people say " I Believe..." And expect others to respect them. A problem with this is that we will never know if they really do believe to that depth or even if they believe what they claim at all. Respect is something that is earned. So, how much work has been expended to acquire a belief? For many it is just quoting someone else or mouthing off without thought. In general people have a right to be "wrong" to be incorrect, stupid and ignorant as long as it does not harm others. There is no reason to respect them for this. There are many things that I believe, they are my striving toward Truth / Understanding and they are important to me. But are they worthy of anyone else’s respect? They take place within myself . Is selfishness worthy of respect? How do you know if you really do believe something? Could you just be trying to manipulate others or are you just mouthing off? How do you prove to other people that you believe? How do you prove it to yourself ? Truth is not isolated. One plus One is Two whether you are talking apples and oranges or galaxies. A spiritual truth is true over a wide area. If it is true just for Christianity or just for Wicca then it is really just a small piece of truth. It is truth that everything in the universe is interconnected. How and Why are ongoing questions. How to apply this knowledge for everyone’s benefit is a riddle. My beliefs have moved me to do things in the real world. Like cleaning up someone else’s beer cans after I had had lunch at a beautiful picnic site.. This is not much but it is real and beyond my own immediate profit. I had felt the beauty of Mother Earth within myself. When I gave Her that beauty back, I felt that part of the universe had come full circle and was whole and that I was a part of it. When our beliefs move us to do something real and make the world a better place or at least to care about it and try. Then our beliefs are worthy of respect.
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