34 Comments
author

💯!! It's impossible to respect all beliefs. You can believe and stand on freedom of expression/speech (without it we are "all" doomed) - but have zero respect for what is being said. To respect all beliefs is confusion over conviction. You can educate yourself, listen, read, but you do not have to respect what you are absorbing. Good one Alexander!

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author

I agree!

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I agree. What I have seen is that those who demand from others to respect everyone's believes (or sometimes, other human rights as well), are the ones who themselves violate such rules.

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author

Very true!

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Mar 7Liked by Alexander Semenyuk

They use this catch phrase as justification for their own dogma

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Yes! There is a place to draw the line. We are there.

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author

Yup!

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Mar 7Liked by Alexander Semenyuk

As Terry Goodkind wrote in “Soul of the Fire”: “Culture carries no privilege to exist. Cultures do not have value simply because they are. Some cultures, the world is better off without.” Substitute “belief” for “culture”, and there you have it.

At the same time, it’s important to draw a distinction between “respecting a belief” and “respecting a person’s right to profess a belief”. Respecting that right means tolerating (not necessarily respecting, but at least tolerating) the belief itself. But respect and tolerance are very different things, of course.

And yes… the hypocrisy of those who claim to respect all beliefs but suppress others’ right to self-expression is as profound as it is widespread, unfortunately.

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author

Great comment, it’s surely a subject that can be explored a lot!

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Mar 7Liked by Alexander Semenyuk

You said "the hypocrisy of those who claim to respect all beliefs but suppress others’ right to self-expression is as profound as it is widespread, unfortunately."

And this hypocrisy is increasing daily in our media and political systems.

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Mar 7Liked by Alexander Semenyuk

They say they respect all beliefs while openly defy and deny beliefs they don't agree with. How does that work?

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Here's how it works: I say me piece and you shut up.

... and there you have it: Cancel culture!

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author

Exactly, doesn’t make sense haha, thanks for reading and your support!

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Jul 29Liked by Alexander Semenyuk

Some beliefs are not beliefs but are toxic violence.

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author

Yup

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Mar 7Liked by Alexander Semenyuk

You say "How can you? That’s only possible if you completely lack personality and have no real beliefs of your own that you can stand behind."

I think everyone is entitled to their own stupid opinion, but that doesn't mean I agree with their opinion, just their right to be wrong!

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author

haha yes

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Agreed

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Thank you for your brave words!

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author

Thank you for reading!

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Is it possible to 'respect' the person while giving space to their beliefs? The source of ALL evil is good. [Augustine] Consider evil, Satan, a metaphor for the ego. Respect and disrespect are two sides of the coin, the same as hope and hopelessness. People only believe in what they doubt. There are no doubts automobiles exist. The problem with belief is it walls off thinking about it. You cannot think or have any insights about what you believe until you give up the coin entirely. Give up hope, hopelessness disappears too. Your ego may be sad, but it is temporary. What we like least in others, we like least in ourselves.

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author

Ego is a very interesting subject, thanks for the comment!

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Mar 7Liked by Alexander Semenyuk

Augustine is certainly wrong on this belief of his!

There is none good but one, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments. (Mat 19:17)

The commandments are good and they don't produce evil.

You must believe in something, even if you believe that Augustine is right, to not do so is to believe in not believing, which is a tautology.

To not believe in anything is to deny your existence.

As someone said "if you don't stand for anything, you will fall for anything"

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Knowing God replaces believing. You are a believer. You have to start somewhere. What makes Augustine wrong? God created everything good. Where did evil in your world come from? It could have only begun, come from good. Where are you, Martin, claiming the source of evil comes?

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Jesus tells us that Satan is the Father of lies, and a murderer.

He said to the Pharisees "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)

God created Lucifer and gave him free will to choose to obey God or not, then Lucifer chose to disobey God and Lucifer became Satan the adversary of God and the "Father of lies".

Lies are what he has made "for he speaks of his own"- lies and murder is Satan's creation- but it doesn't lead to life, so he and all those who believe this lie will die eternally, not live eternally.

Evil comes from our capacity, including Satan's capacity, to choose to do good or evil. While God gave us that capacity it doesn't mean God created evil.

God created everything good, we choose to do evil or to do good.

Evil comes from our own choice to be evil:

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (James 4:1-4)

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"God created everything good," and you are as God created you. Jesus paid the price for everyone, forever. Mercy and forgiveness precede judgment. Any evil is an illusion your ego keeps manufacturing. You will be forgiven as you forgive. God’s peace and joy are mine; peace and joy I give to you.

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Mar 7Liked by Alexander Semenyuk

Louder 🗣️🗣️🗣️👏👏👏

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author

Thanks!

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Jul 29Liked by Alexander Semenyuk

💯! Even the most "tolerant" people out there do not tolerate intolerance.

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Yep, you have to call a spade a spade!

From the bottom of the deck you got the card that you played

You laid it on the table and I saw you get paid

The table has turned. now you're the one who's afraid

And a spade don't like it when you call a spade a spade

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Jul 29Liked by Alexander Semenyuk

So true what you say Alexander "To thine own self be true 'God Bless you and your family.l don't believe Satan's lies .🕊️🙏.

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Straight talk. Welcome, it is!

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Fully concur, am tired of those who break the law, or certain cultural values of certain countries (such as Canada, France, England, Japan and so on) demand others respect their values and ideas yet they refuse to do that towards these and many other countries.

Screw off, not all ideas and philosophies are born equal, some have more value than others.

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