You Believe in That?

“You shouldn’t practice that religion.  Instead, you should practice this one.” 

“That spiritual practice is stupid.” 

“I don’t believe in that religion and neither should you.”

We have all heard the above statements in one form or another at some point in our lives.  People like to push onto others what they believe in, and believe that everyone else should believe what they believe, which is beyond annoying.  You are free to practice whatever religion you see fit, as it is your right and your choice.  However, it becomes a point of contention when you try to push your beliefs, your religion, your spiritual practices and so forth onto others. 

Regardless of what one practices be it Islam, Christianity, Buddism, Toaism, and so on, I respect what you practice and believe in.  I do not respect when one tries to push those beliefs onto others or try to force them to convert to their way of thinking.  Unfortunately, some people like to make others believe that they are wrong for not believing in what they believe in, or vice versa, try to make them feel that what they do believe is wrong.

When I travel, which is my favorite thing to do, I enjoy learning about other cultures, including their customs and traditions.  I believe that experiencing other cultures allows you to experience and learn amazing things; both about yourself and the world around you as it broadens your perspective.  I even enjoy learning about their religious beliefs and how it shapes how they live their lives, whether I agree with their beliefs and practices or not.  And trust me, I have not always agreed with certain beliefs, but I respected them and would never tell them that they were ‘wrong.’

Ultimately, we must all make our own choices, including what we believe in, and our beliefs are not necessarily right or wrong.  It simply makes it true to you; your truth.  Someone may believe in something that you do not and vice versa, which is fine.  While it is perfectly fine to teach someone about your religion or spiritual practices from a knowledge standpoint if they are interested, it is not ok to try to force it upon them.  Stop trying to push your beliefs, and your narrative onto others just because it is different than yours.  Let others live and believe what they want, just as you want to live and believe what you want.