Acknowledging, but not Respecting, Certain Beliefs
At my Building Your Own Theology class, one of the leaders of the class said something that really struck me as important and I've been considering if I believe the same. She said that she had to accept/acknowledge everyone's beliefs, including ones she disagreed with, but she didn't need to respect them. Such as beliefs that certain people will go to hell or that it's wrong to be gay, etc. Maybe it's possible to respect human beings and treat them decently, while not respecting their beliefs? I definitely respect the beliefs of people that are different from mine but inherently non-harmful/come from a place of positivity or love. There are a lot of beliefs I do think are wrong from a moral standpoint, though. Judging people who are different from you, but not hurting anyone, is something I guess I really can't respect. Though that doesn't make me hate the person who holds the belief -- but I will probably feel uncomfortable around people. Beliefs I just disagree with because I don't think they are factually true are not an issue for me and I can easily respect them. It's just when cruelty and casting judgment on innocents (or excessive cruelty to the guilty) comes into play that I can't respect the beliefs. That still sounds harsh to me, but it's beginning to sound true and realistic to me.