I have a strong belief in God. And you don’t. My belief informs how I live – I seek to live according to God’s directives in the Bible. I do not expect you to live that way – you don’t have my belief in God, so why would you? That doesn’t prevent me from loving you. I have many friends and relatives who don’t believe as I do and therefore don’t live as I do, but I love them, are there for them, and are supportive of them in so many ways. When I don’t agree with their choices, I still love them.
I will give you an example – say one of these loved ones is in a relationship, and I know they are having sex with their partner. I believe that sex is for marriage only. But that doesn’t make me not associate with them, or act any less lovingly than I normally do. But I also don’t speak words of approval, saying that it’s good that they are doing this. And that doesn’t make me a sex-outside-of-marriage-a-phobe…I don’t fear or hate that person who doesn’t believe like me. I love them. And I continue to have a good relationship with them.
I do not ask for your affirmation of my beliefs. Why would I? You don’t believe like me, and that’s your perrogative. I don’t assume you hate me for my beliefs. I don’t hate you for yours. Please don’t label me as a whatever-a-phobe for every belief of yours that I don’t affirm. That’s my perogative. And I won’t label you for not affirming my beliefs. Is that fair?
