Your Beliefs Don't Make You A Better Person....

The other day, one of my friends posted the following on their wall: "Your beliefs don't make you a better person - your behavior does."

For me, that made a lot of sense. It isn't what we believe that defines us, it's how we behave. I understand why the anti-religious become so incensed at some of the religious. There have been so many things done in the name of God that are so wrong and un-Godly that one wonders how people can possibly justify it to themselves, nevermind anyone else.

But, being human, we can and do justify anything and everything we do, no matter how wrong it may be to others, as long as it satisfies our own wants.

Personally, it doesn't matter to me whether someone believes in God or not. It does matter to me when someone espouses their beliefs but their behaviour is contradictory. It does matter to me when beliefs are used to restrict any freedom. It does matter to me when beliefs are used to justify war, greed, hate and separatism.

I've known people that are overtly religious that use God as an excuse and a crutch. Their lives aren't all they want them to be, because God wants it that way. It's God's will. Nothing is their fault or their responsibility - that's what God wants.

I do take issue with that. If God gave us free will, then God doesn't make us do anything - we make the choice to say and do what we do. It's not God's will - it's our own. We are responsible for how we feel, what we do and what we say. We are responsible for what we think. We aren't responsible for what others feel, think, say or do - only for ourselves. But don't you enjoy being around people that are happy, up-lifting and motivating? Don't you enjoy spending time with those that find the positives in you and don't you find that if you're around positive people, that it's easy to see the positives in others and in life?

Personally, if someone is de-motivating, negative and insulting, I don't care what they believe - they aren't fit to be in my life. I'm only here once, and if I can help make this world a better place by giving whatever I can to others and helping others to feel good about themselves and to be the best they can be, and by being the best I can be, then I will have lived.

As humans, we have the capacity to lift each other up and encourage each other to be the absolute best we can be. We can choose to see the strengths we each have, to encourage those strengths, and to overcome our weaknesses. We also have the ability to rip each other to shreds, to stomp on anything positive, and destroy each other, spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically.

And it doesn't necessarily take a belief in anything to do that. For me, what people believe is simply an opinion. It's neither right nor wrong, it just is. What they believe is right for them. Just like what I believe, is right for me - as long as no one else is being harmed. Spirituality is not a competition. No one likes to have beliefs shoved down their throats, regardless of what those beliefs are.

It becomes 'wrong' when they attempt to force their beliefs on the rest of society. It becomes wrong when people hold themselves as 'better' than others because of their beliefs, but behave in a manner completely diametrically opposed to what love, kindness and compassion is. It becomes wrong when some people are excluded, and that exclusion is justified in the name of their beliefs.

Those that believe in religion find what they need in it and it works for them. I respect their commitment to it. Another common meme is 'Religion is for those who are afraid of going to hell. Spirituality is for those who've already been there.' This implies that religious people are not spiritual, which is completely untrue. As with any belief system, there are those that can quote beliefs, but don't actually practice them, and those that let their behaviour be their spiritual indicator.

Bottom line? Talk is cheap - behaviour tells all.