Do Unto Others…

I wish that people of faith, regardless of their faith, would demonstrate a degree of maturity in their exercise of said faith. It matters not what one believes in, be it Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Scientology, or anything else. It’s all right to make your own personal decisions of belief or nonbelief. It’s another to try to ram YOUR decisions down others’ throats! And then to condemn anyone not subscribing to your belief system as being out of God’s will, or worse, of the devil!

As I have previously written on this blog, the overwhelming majority of religious adherents identify with the faith that they grew up in, either from their parents’ faith or the convenience of that faith’s relative predominance and acceptance in the surrounding society. Sure, there are those who may make a conversion decision without this context of background, but they are rare indeed. And that is why a believer should keep as a personal habit a degree of empathy for others who have grown up in religious climates different from their own. It is the accident of birth that is the primary factor in determining one’s religious orientation, so why put down others for being born in the “wrong” place and time?

Having said the above, it also bears noting that those NOT sharing a belief in a particular religion need to demonstrate a little compassion and maturity for those who do. Just about every religion I’ve heard of practices the doctrine of exclusivity in some form or another; this even includes “big tent” faiths like the Baha’is and the Unitarian Universalists. I respect the decisions that believers of various faiths make for their own lives regarding the parameters of behavior and appearance that these faiths dictate within their doctrines. But I also expect, in turn, for those believers to respect my right to not necessarily abide by THEIR codes.

What was that saying in the Bible? Oh yes, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Or in simple language, treat others the way you would like them to treat you. Unless, of course, you have a pronounced self-destructive streak to your personality!