Should Beliefs Really Change the Way Others Treat You?

[Cursebred]

This has affected me (frontman of the band) in many ways at our school. What I am trying to say, is that even though I am a Catholic, I have some beliefs that the Satanists have. This including the belief that you have to be your own person and live out your own life on Earth, and take out your own ideals, not those of others.

But because of these beliefs, they say the myself and others that are the same way are against the Church and then we are shunned by many, except for the few that really don't care about beliefs.

So, how about you guys? Should a belief really define the way you are treated, if you treat others with the respect you want from them?

Though I know most of you will say no, it is not right for a belief to change the way others treat you. Would having a belief that may oppose others beliefs almost so much that it may be offensive (ex: my beliefs vs. the die-hard Christians) change the way they treat you? Or should they leave that only in their heads?

That is all.

- Cursebred
(Caveman - Frontman of band)

[Corbin Wells]

If one is in no way threatening anothers choice of lifestyle because of their beliefs, one should be allowed to believe in anything they want.
EXAMPLE:
"I hate mexicans and the whole cinco de mayo festival. But I'm going to keep my mouth shut"

And that's it. This thread might get locked.

[Cavernio]

This is a loaded question because 'not changing how you treat someone based on their beliefs' is itself a belief, as it treating people with respect, as is 'treating others as you would have people treat you'.

[ViciousDelicious]

Lots of theories and beliefs overlap, like what you said about "you have to be your own person and live out your own life on Earth, and take out your own ideals, not those of others." That's not purely a Satanist's rational..it's the rational of an existentialist, or simply of someone who feels that way..there are too many options and preferences to be able to lump together into categories. So in short, no. I don't think they should, because every being has different ideas about every thing. It all comes down to no right answer.

[devonin]

If you want someone to respect your beliefs, ought you not to also respect their beliefs? And if they believe say... "Satan is incredibly evil, and someone who explicitly states that they hold many of the teachings of the church of Satan is probably not the kind of person we approve of, so why should we approve of them?" who are you necessarily to say that they are doing anything wrong if at the same time, you insist that they respect your beliefs.

(Protip: Satanism has absolutely nothing to do with Satan worship, and in the -actual- sense of the term, is not a bad belief system at all in general, though it is more than a little narcissistic, arrogant, and self-absorbed. But just because the hardcore catholics you're criticizing are acting from a position of ignorance about what the beliefs you espouse entail, it is an entirely seperate discussion to look at whether we ought to respect all beliefs, or just beliefs we feel have a grounding in knowledge and self-reflection.)

[fido123]

Beliefs effect the way you perceive the world and therefore act or create opinions therefore people should absolutely be able to perceive who you are based on your belief. If you are a semi-Satanist, and Catholics stand for everything Satanists don't, they should be able to think you are are evil.

[dore]

I have a few "out there" beliefs but to combat the unfair negative perceptions that these beliefs may create for my reputation I usually just don't speak out about these beliefs. That's not to say that I'm afraid of these beliefs or not proud of them but that sometimes it's easier to just not be vocal about them.

[Cursebred]

Originally Posted by fido123

Beliefs effect the way you perceive the world and therefore act or create opinions therefore people should absolutely be able to perceive who you are based on your belief. If you are a semi-Satanist, and Catholics stand for everything Satanists don't, they should be able to think you are are evil.

Well, being a black sheep should not make people think I'm evil. I mean, there are plenty of other Burger King Catholics out there anyway ("Have it your way"). This is just as well as just generalizing from what they think, rather than from what they know. Like, they listen to Christian music, I listen to black metal and death metal. It works that way too. Even before I changed my beliefs to the way they are now.

Originally Posted by dore

I have a few "out there" beliefs but to combat the unfair negative perceptions that these beliefs may create for my reputation I usually just don't speak out about these beliefs. That's not to say that I'm afraid of these beliefs or not proud of them but that sometimes it's easier to just not be vocal about them.

It actually is easy for me not to be vocal about beliefs. But people just seem to figure them out. Like this belief. After they somehow figured out, life changed. I still respect them. It is just strange.

A mod can lock this thread now. Just a couple of comments is enough...

[chained_to_a_pipe]

A lot of people outcast me for my beliefs. I am a LaVeyan Satanist, but where I live, if I even say I'm an atheist alone, I get the cold shoulder. I live in a heavily religious area in Tennessee, if that says anything. If you're anything other than Christian, you're immediately a horrible person. I've been called a Satan worshipper, been told I was going to hell many times, people have tried to convert me back to Christianity (I was a Christian for the first 14 or 15 years of my life), and I've been completely ignored because of my beliefs. I do accept Christians, but the second they judge me for my beliefs, I lose all respect for them. Sorry I'm pointing out only Christians, but there aren't many people I know who are anything but Christian. I know quite a few Wiccans, but they're very accepting of my beliefs. Other than that, only atheists, who couldn't really care less about what I believe, as long as I don't try to convert anyone.

[Bricktastic]

Originally Posted by chained_to_a_pipe

A lot of people outcast me for my beliefs. I am a LaVeyan Satanist, but where I live, if I even say I'm an atheist alone, I get the cold shoulder. I live in a heavily religious area in Tennessee, if that says anything. If you're anything other than Christian, you're immediately a horrible person. I've been called a Satan worshipper, been told I was going to hell many times, people have tried to convert me back to Christianity (I was a Christian for the first 14 or 15 years of my life), and I've been completely ignored because of my beliefs. I do accept Christians, but the second they judge me for my beliefs, I lose all respect for them. Sorry I'm pointing out only Christians, but there aren't many people I know who are anything but Christian. I know quite a few Wiccans, but they're very accepting of my beliefs. Other than that, only atheists, who couldn't really care less about what I believe, as long as I don't try to convert anyone.

That's really hypocritical of them because apparently Jesus was friends with sinners. Jesus loved EVERYONE, so people who are Christian should be accepting of all religions. I know what you mean though, those kind of people don't even care about the religion, they just want to look like a nice person. I think Satanism is very interesting, it's completly different from what labels make it sound like. Honestly, all religions should be accepted everwhere. I think Christianity is completely false and sometimes stupid, but none the less it's respectable and I don't hate people cause they believe that. Everyone should treat people by who they are, how you want to be treated & not what religion they follow.

[fido123]

The thing is you are worshipping and doing everything that is the complete opposite of their beliefs. It's a touchy subject but if you worship Satan and they worship Jesus/God, there's obviously going to be a lot of tension.

[chained_to_a_pipe]

No, no, no. Sorry, I didn't explain. LaVeyan Satanists don't worship Satan. We don't even believe in Satan. Satan is just a way to represent man's desire. But I do understand what you're saying. Satanism is pretty much the opposite of Christianity, and that will cause tension, but there is a difference between voicing their opinion and completely dismissing me as a person, if ya get what I'm saying.

[dore]

I know what you mean^^, I'm Deist and most people just can't understand how you can believe in God (as in one, single god who created the universe as we know it) but not go to church and not believe in divine ties to morality. I don't really get shunned for it or anything and all my friends are Christian since I don't impose my beliefs on anyone and I don't argue against the moral majority (since Christians will never concede defeat in a religious argument).

[dbziscool]

Try living in Kansas...As a person that is agnostic but like you some of my beliefs are satanists beliefs. I must say it effects me big time. I have never seen anything like it. The second they found out I wasn't christain they started spreading rumors around the school that I was trying to convert people to the devil. Most of these were spread by teachers. Heck, the christains in kansas are so think headed simply explaning the belief of satanism isn't going to work. In fact, most of them won't even believe evolution in Kansas! It is by far the most annoying thing I have ever seen. Do I think it is wrong people are treating different over religion? Yes. I think it is bull and should be ban from the schools. If you ask me(my opinion) I think religion will be the fall of man. Not because of "The end of the world" but stupidity.

[UserNameGoesHere]

I would say yes and no. Yes, in the sense that people should strive to respect the beliefs of others even if they don't necessarily agree with them, provided those beliefs do not directly cause harm. No in the sense that there isn't anything inherent in holding a belief which should cause people to treat you better/etc than other people.

I'd say it's just common courtesy to respect people's beliefs as much as it is possible.

[tha Guardians]

I simply answer this by saying:

It should affect the way people think of you, but not the way they treat you. You should give them a reason to treat you the way you are through your interactions with them. Sadly, that's not always how it is.

[MystictheHedgehog]

Obviously your beliefs shouldn't really affect the way you get treated. I'm a pretty strong Christian, yet I don't judge people for what the believe, yet I get judged all the time. One of my best friends happens to be an atheist, and we get along just fine. In fact, the talk of religion is rarely brought up, except in cases in which someone is being completely ridiculous.

Yet anytime it's brought up that I"m a Christian in front of other atheists, they start calling me names and other forms of ridicule, just because I believe in a higher power. In all honesty, to those atheists that do this, screw off. Sorry, but if you don't really believe in anything, why do you try so hard to ridicule others that do.

To that guy from Tennessee in which Christians condemn you to hell. Shame on them. Christianity has been given such a cruddy name because of hypocrites like that, and I'm sorry you have idiots like that.

Sorry, got kinda off topic there for a second. In all seriousness, no your beliefs should not affect the way you get treated, to an extent anyway. Our country claims to be on the principal that everyone is equal. Too bad in reality this gets discombobulated into too many other forms.

[darkness1477]

i believe people should be able to do what they want with thier life and as long as it doesn't affect you then you shouldn't bother yourself with with thier life

[devonin]

Your beliefs change the way you act, which changes the way people treat you.

[Kilroy_x]

It depends. Beliefs should never change whether or not a persons rights are violated. Actions, in very select instances, can reasonably considered justification for violation of rights. Being imprisoned is technically a human rights violation, but when the alternative is letting a mentally unstable person run around gunning people down indiscriminately, the choice seems clear.

However. The continuous expression of unfalsifiable beliefs or incorrect beliefs WHEN THEY ARE OF CONSEQUENCE, and an unwillingness to change them, seems like a reasonable basis to discriminate against someone. Not to violate their rights, just to change how we interact with them. It's much better to discriminate against someone based on their ideas, which are substantive or at least have substantive consequences, than to discriminate against them based on something arbitrary. It's not my problem how other people want to handle their relationships, though, honestly.