Quote:

I answer, "only I can allow something to affect me."

(Gimster)
In the abstract, I totally agree with that, Gimster. It's primarily how I keep from getting offended (most of the time, LOL!).

However, I know of instances where people's beliefs (sometimes motivated by religious viewpoints and sometimes not) have caused great harm to others in this country and in this time. A lesbian friend of mine was dragged behind a truck to get her to change her ways. And Matthew (in Wyoming) was hung on a barbed wire fence and left to die (in a bizarre image of Christ's death) because he was homosexual.

And to flip it a bit, abortion clinics exist because of beliefs that life does not begin at conception. To others, that is murder because they do believe that life begins at conception. And alternatively, the extreme ends of that debate have killed abortionists because they believed that abortionists were murderers and Satanical.

(Ladies, please, I don't want to go off on the abortion rant, I'm just making a point that beliefs do lead to actions that can cause harm to others. :-))

Even in terms of verbal beliefs, you can choose to engage or leave it alone in many cases, but what if you are in a situation where someone is constantly denigrating your beliefs and you need the job, or its a parent, or a co-worker?

I find it hard to believe that God/dess wants any of this.
_________________________
Casey Dawes
Wise Woman Shining
Supporting women business owners to step into their power as business leaders.