Don’t Apologise for your Views and Values
These days, many people follow the crowd. But it’s really important to have values, and then stick to them. We all have different ones (and unfortunately some people these days don’t seem to have any values at all, apart from becoming rich, famous and powerful).
It’s fine to be around people with different values, but do be sure to stick to your own. If you were raised right, remember your values! In this big nasty cruel world, take a look through old photo albums, and remember the values you were raised with, from good people, perhaps now with the Lord.
Don’t keep apologising for your views either. Someone once wrote that if you water a cup of tea down enough, soon it will taste of nothing. It also chips away at your self-respect.
Years ago, most people had good values. People were always polite, honest and respectful. If an MP got caught out doing something naughty or dishonest, he or she would resign on the spot, to save the face of the party. Now MPs hang on for dear life, then try to creep back. There’s no shame.
Having values in today’s world, can sometimes make you feel at odds with the rest of the world. If you are against genocide in Gaza, you are called antisemitic. If you don’t eat animals, you’re called an oddball that will ‘send sheep extinct’. If you don’t give to animal-testing medical charities, you are told that you care more about mice than men.
Some say in these cases, you should get your science facts right, so that you have ‘all the arguments’ to state your case. But why you should waste your precious life doing this? Just ignore them.
Overlooking insults helps in passing tests, when people try to discredit you. The Scripture tells us to be peacemakers, not troublemakers. Walk way, protect your peace, and allow God to handle them. Joel Osteen
So if you don’t fit in; if you feel at odds with the world, if your identity is troubled and frayed; if you feel lost and ashamed. It could be because you have retained the human values you were supposed to have discarded. You are a deviant. Be proud. George Monbiot
Here are a few values that you may have, that are odds with others:
- Not watching junk TV (in a world obsessed with celebrity)
- Voting Green (instead of the main political parties)
- Not driving a car (because you care about the planet)
- Wanting peace and quiet (in a world of noise)
- Telling the truth (in a world that tells lies)
- Not believing anything Farage or Trump says!
- Not following a set religion
- Investigating the real stories behind the ‘boat crisis’
- Not thinking money is the centre of the world
- Having walks ruined, by picking up every piece of litter
- Carrying numbers of local wildlife rescue and marine life rescue on your phone.
- Getting involved in trying to find lost pets.
Don’t Shout About Your Beliefs
Because nobody’s listening!
Ecological writer once wrote that people who march down the street shouting out their beliefs, is like ‘churning sand to make butter’. You’ll just get people’s backs up.
Aussie writer Andrew Matthews once asked his father (when he was a child) why people on TV were punching each other at a demo. His father replied ‘Because they want peace!’
Be Inspired by Those whose Beliefs Remain
When someone keeps changing their beliefs (and genuine change is good, or else there would be no butterflies!), people often get a bit iffy.
For example, a few years back, the Lib Dems were known for always changing their beliefs. They would waffle on about one policy, then change it. So people began not to trust them. They seemed to have changed in recent years.
Boris Johnson campaigned to stay in the EU, then when he thought he could become Prime Minister, he flip-flopped to leave the EU. Either belief is fine – but when you agree with both to get power, people lose faith.
Jesus Christ remained true to this beliefs of love and forgiveness (he even forgave the men who nailed him to the cross). But some New Age charlatans tell lies to get money.
One former New Ager is now a devout Christian, which again is fine. But now she spends her time scaring the living daylights out of anyone who doesn’t agree with what she does. That’s not Christianity.
Gandhi was once asked by a Christian why Hindus in India were not converting from his scary sermons. He replied ‘When you start behaving like a Christian’, maybe they will listen!’
The Benefits of Staying True
When you stick to your values, life is so much simpler! You live better, you sleep better. If you’re a naturally honest person who is telling lies, you’ll give yourself an ulcer.
If you’re a vegan who eats meat when family is around to keep the peace, you’ll feel guilty and depressed when you get home. if you keep up with ‘appearances’ to appease others, it’s a miserable way to live your life.
If you’re around people who don’t share your true values, let them drop out of your life. It may be painful at first, but you then make room for the good people to show up who do share your values. And then you’ll wonder why you didn’t do this years ago!
Do not confuse flexibility with surrender. You can change your mind, at any time. But don’t be afraid when confronted by those who don’t share your views, to stand up for your beliefs:
I see it differently, and would like to leave it there.
I am not comfortable, with that line of talk.
I hear your point, but I prefer this approach.
Limit online talk. Share your view once, then mute if needed.
15 Rules for a Good Life
Pray as You Go is a lovely online audio prayer sanctuary. It also has many great articles, influenced by the Ignatian Catholic faith. Their 15 Rules for a Good Life (read or listen to the full article on the site) are:
- Ask where has God ‘planted you?’
- Defend and protect your ‘light’.
- Do not surrender to the ‘night’.
- Cultivate ideals.
- Believe in the existence of beautiful truths.
- Never believe that your struggle is pointless.
- Wherever you are, build!
- Work for peace among people.
- Love all people!
- Do not be afraid to dream.
- Take responsibility for this world.
- Do not live life alone: you belong to Jesus.
- Always have the courage of Truth.
- If you make a mistake, get to your feet.
- Believe in people of goodness (don’t be bitter).
If you don’t stick to your values when they’re being tested, they’re not values. They’re hobbies. Jon Stewart
Where Have the Values Gone in Politics?
Politicians from all the parties ask for our votes. And seem to think we have become disillusioned due to things going wrong. It’s more that we simply don’t trust politicians, as most are out for themselves. Or tell lies. Or both.
Consider Sir Keir Starmer. He’s an atheist. But when he met with President Trump (who says he believes in God, when he’s not thinking that he is God), Keir pretended he was a Christian. If you’re an atheist, say so. We understand, we get it. But don’t pretend you’re someone else, just to appease a President.
This kind of action is why Trump is bullying the world. Recently in Davos, Californian governor Gavin Newsom said it was ‘pathetic and embarrassing’ looking at all the world leaders doing everything an unknowledgeable and narcissist President was doing, in his attempt to buy Greenland.
He told reporters ‘I should have brought a bunch of kneepads for all the world leaders.
Yesterday, the President met with a group he calls the ‘coalition of the willing’. Or, as the rest of the world calls them, Britain and Spain. Jon Stewart
