Values.

I keep having this discussion. I dare say it's become a universal theme. "If you don't believe in a specific religion, nanette... what do you believe in?"


I believe in honesty. I believe in being the kind of person you want to be around. I believe in not contributing to world suck. I believe in being respectful of other's boundaries, decisions and ideas, even if I don't agree with them. 


honest |ˈänist|adjectivefree of deceit and untruthfulness; sincere : I haven't been totally honest with you.• morally correct or virtuous : I did the only right and honest thing.• [ attrib. ] fairly earned, esp. through hard work : struggling to make an honest living.• (of an action) blameless or well intentioned even if unsuccessful or misguided : he'd made an honest mistake.• [ attrib. ] simple, unpretentious, and unsophisticated : good honest food with no gimmicks.
I'm quite liberal in the idea of what is right and wrong. I have my own opinions about things. I understand that not everyone has the same view. I express myself and can be at peace even if no one else agrees with me. I can listen to others and weigh what they say and make my own decisions. I like having the security of having weighed each of these values to my own liking and finding security in my own moral code. 
I find that most religions don't disagree. "Love thy neighbor as thyself," and "Reap what you sew," in Christianity. Karma, the law of causation, in Buddhism. "The Oneness of Humanity," says Islam. Even science says "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." 
What we do. How we handle conflict. How we treat one another. OUR CHOICES AND ACTIONS AFFECT OTHER PEOPLE. We each have the opportunity to make that positive or negative. However, it's very difficult to always see into the future HOW these decisions will come to fruition. So instead of predict...   (predetermination forces people unfairly into boxes) one can only make decisions with clear intent. Look inward. What is the motivating emotion or feeling? I try to make my decisions based on positive (purely subjective to each person's beliefs) motivations... I like to believe that's what we all do. 
I like to believe that people do not maliciously meddle or try to cause problems intentionally. I like to think that when I've been offended, that was not the intent of the offender, for how often, REALLY, do we make decisions with the intent to hurt another person. I try to extend empathy, or sympathy, to those that I've had conflict with, only to hope that I'm offered that in return. Mother's wisdom, "you'll always hate what you don't understand." 
I might not subscribe to a specific religious set of beliefs. But in my definition of good and bad people...   is that a good person does not aim to be venomous... and does not aim to belittle another ... or tear someone down for the sake of vindication. A good person lives life in a way that is beneficial for themselves and tries to minimize their negative output into the world. 
So let's all try to get along. Play nice. Be honest. Be Empathetic. Maybe be a little more open-minded. And accept the consequences of our actions with humility enough to admit when we were wrong, and have courage enough to stand up for our opinions and bravery enough to apologize when it's needed. 
Utmost sincerity,Nanette