Respect

[jenniology]

Dear Population of the Earth,

I'm going to teach you a brand new word. (Tremble in awe now.)

Respect

"To pay due attention to and refrain from violating something."
See also the Wikipedia article on the matter.Respect. It's an important thing, but it is something we're critically short of here on our planet

Comments

[tuure]

Yes, my point of view exactly. Respect. I don't believe you have to like it (it=somebody's way of life, for example), but you HAVE to respect. And it is acceptable to presume that you're being respected as well. One shouldn't think that one's somehow less valuable as a human, whatever the situation is or he one's values are. *nods*

Indeed. I just find it difficult to respect people who don't respect others. You could say that they don't deserve to be respected, but doesn't that apply to every single being? Especially when I consider these as my greatest principles in my personal philosophy: "Du ska använda all din kraft till att älska honom, och du ska tjäna honom av hela ditt hjärta och med ditt liv och alla dina tankar.'Lika viktigt är det andra budet: 'Älska dina medmänniskor lika mycket som dig själv!' Inga andra bud är mer livsviktiga än dessa två." (Heh, I just had to get it in Swedish. :D) I should and would, and usually I do respect even those who do not respect. They're human, and humans aren't perfect. That (alone) doesn't give me a reason to hate anyone.
But should someone kill my family or rape my wife. It will get complicated. How am I to respect that kind of person? How am I not to hate him? What would stop me from revenging him...? Still, that person would be human, not the least less valuable than me. And I should love that person as I love myself. (I'm constantly typing 'him' instead of 'that person', but it's not said that only a male could kill someone.) Being a Christian isn't quite that easy. Those two things I quoted are - in a way - even more powerful than the Ten Commandments, since they can be included in those. So if you don't love the person who shot your son, you're going against God's will? In a way, yes. And that sounds pretty harsh. And I do pray that I don't ever have to test out that logic in practice. *shiver*

[tuure]

You could say that they don't deserve to be respected, but doesn't that apply to every single being?
Umm... What I meant was that shouldn't every single being be respected, not that nobody deserves it. Hoo-boy, past my bedtime, you can tell it by the grammar and typing. x.0

[jenniology]

Indeed, 'tis a tricky thing...