My Two Cents Worth—Respect: Core to Understanding Your Tribal Mind

Heaven's expanse starts from where you are now. How you treat the people around you is your heaven or hell. Make-love-not-war that is.

If we are to live in the real world (as opposed to our imaginary, self-made world), respect is the sine qua non for a progressive, harmonious

society.

Without respect, differences or tiffs will grow into fight, battle, or even war. Differences, diversity, and even change are part of a colorful and beautiful gift of life.

To illustrate simply, a couple with three children would raise three different persons with different personalities, different mannerisms, different habits, different perspectives, and even different systems of doing things. Without respect, every single household in a community within a city comprising a province in a certain country within a continent of this big world (catching a breath) will be in disagreement with other households.

No one can totally and perfectly control another. One cannot totally imprint to another his own set of beliefs. It could seem to work at first, but sooner or later the other person will attempt to break free.

Exercising one’s will is part of human nature. The more one is suppressed, oppressed, controlled, limited, curtailed, all the more one wants to take off.

If we want our loved ones or those under our responsibility to improve, the most we could do is to become the living example of what we want them to learn, and in the process, respect the person they are becoming into—whether it is the version we want or not.

Vicissitude is a staple ingredient of time, of growth, of beautifully living our lives, of breathing life to our set of values.

Religion is just among the many subjects wherein respect plays a major role. Discussing which religion is best or the original is like discussing which comes first, chicken or egg. But one thing is sure, RELIGION WILL NOT SAVE YOU. IT’S HOW YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE AND TREAT OTHERS THAT WILL SAVE YOU.

No God wants killings, especially of the innocent. Even those who don’t believe in God, their consciences repel the evil acts—killings, tortures, taking advantage of the innocent.

I have my own fair share of religious diversity in my environment, but we live in harmony because of respect.

My mom was born Baptist, grew up practicing Seventh Day Adventist beliefs because she studied in an Adventist school, and she married my father who was born a Roman Catholic, grew up devoted Catholic, and died a devout Catholic. Since getting married to my father in 1980, my mother remains a practicing Roman Catholic until now.

My mom’s brothers and sisters are Baptist, Catholic, and a Muslim. My father’s siblings are all devout Catholic.

When I was in college, I lived with friends who are agnostic, atheist, Muslim, Catholic, Methodist. I got involved with a Protestant, Catholic, a Buddhist, two Muslims, and an agnostic.

When I started working, I lived with three good people who were agnostics, and one was even my roommate. Our Muslim organization brod who lived next door always stayed at our place, and there was totally no issue. They all know I was actively serving in my Catholic religious community, yet we all lived happily under one roof.

I have a very dear friend who is polygnostic. To each his own. Just practice what you preach, and live out the values/tenets/dogmas of your religious affiliation, then others might be inspired and follow your lead.

One cannot say he is better than the other and only he will enter the blissful eternal kingdom because of his religion, or because he has a god/God. Many times, those who don’t publicly profess their faith are those who are actually kinder, more compassionate and understanding, and have deep personal relationships with their Supreme Being. Being religious is different from being spiritual.

All that I am saying is RESPECT can do great things.

Religion, to begin with, is a complex and even personal matter.

Religion shouldn’t be confused with government.

Let us not be judgmental and self-righteous.

Heaven starts where you are now.

In the worlds of politics and corporate, competition can be healthy and power is part of their existence. But in religion, competition has no place and the only powerful is the Supreme Being.

Isn’t it better if we all learn from our history—both from the good and the bad—and to move forward with our lessons learned and build a life that is truly civilized and harmonious no matter what our religions are, the colors of our skins are, the structures of our faces are, our social statuses are, our languages are, our body types are, our preferences are, our beliefs are...

It is easier said than done. But if we want to create and nurture a better world, we will understand that differences and difficulties are part and parcel of progress. Once we understand this and respect others, then hardship in taking part to build a better world no longer matters.

Respect others and be responsible member of the immediate environment you find yourself in.

LIVE responsibly. LOVE others. LAUGH heartily.

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Horrible mid-east crises... The constant killings--young-old, woman-man--is downright social evil of injustice and poverty. International news about the mid-east is emotionally and mentally cathartic and constipating at the same time.

Inasmuch as genuine respect is something one cannot impose, so is religion. Religion, when lived out, naturally inspires others to live the kind of life it teaches.

No God, whatever one's religion/belief is, desires the opposite of peace, kindness, compassion, mercy, and love. A person is deemed a reflection of his God. (Islam is a religion of peace and love, so is Christianity. They both believe in the history of Abraham and Jesus. Genuine Muslims and Christians believe in peace, love, compassion, mercy, and respect).

Unless it's political manipulation of the power hungry, no practicing faithful (of his religion) will kill his brothers for his own ideology. 

Heaven's expanse starts from where you are now. How you treat the people around you is your heaven or hell. Make-love-not-war that is.