Lines (post 19)

I want to share my values and beliefs, but I am afraid.

Our beliefs are personal and expressing them leaves us extremely vulnerable.
They inform our sense of identity.
They establish and maintain our membership within groups.

If there is significant conflict between one's beliefs and those of the groups to which one belongs, a dilemma ensues: if one suppresses one's beliefs to more comfortably exist within groups, anxiety, self-doubt and loss of self-esteem can result.  However, if one does not suppress their beliefs, interpersonal conflict, rejection and exclusion can result.

Where is the optimal path here?
Is there a middle way?

Unfortunately, I don't see one.
I think such individuals must weight the discomfort of keeping their beliefs suppressed against the speculative risk or reward of making them known.

My hypothesis is that, in most cases, the rewards of making your beliefs known will far outweigh the risks.
At least, that is my hope.

I hope that in sharing one's beliefs one will eventually find others who share compatible beliefs - and such people may give each other a real opportunity to find community.

My fear is that we live in a world where the strongest senses of identity are built upon belief or disbelief in God, and the strongest lines of community and group membership are drawn along religious (or anti-religious) boundaries.  

Is there a way to express one's beliefs on God without alienating those who disagree?

Is there a way to be welcoming of differing views without falling into moral relativism?

At times in my life I have believed in God.  At other times I have been agnostic/atheistic.
I've believed in many different kinds of Gods, Christian, Hindu, pagan, my own bizarre amalgamations of strange loops of technological singularities.  My concept of God has changed drastically throughout my life and I can't promise it won't change again in years to come.

I do not need to share a belief in God with someone in order to commit myself to them within the context of a community.

But I do need to share something.  I cannot join a community of ISIS members.  Nor could I join a community formed by the Westboro Baptist Church.  There are some lines I simply will not cross.

People are on the other sides of those lines if they:

Believe that it is OK to hurt people for any reason other than defense.
Believe that it is OK to steal from people for any reason other than defense.
Believe that it is OK to lie to people for any reason other than defense.
Believe that it is OK to be selfish, greedy, egotistical, lazy or irresponsible.
Believe that it is OK to have slaves or servants.
Embrace racism, sexism or homophobia.
Hate education.
Hate logic, science or technology.
Hate religion.

This is a list of my guiding principles.  It is not necessarily a complete list or an unalterable one, but it's a fair representation of the morals I try to live by.  It separates me from both religious extremists and moral relativists.  Where does the list come from?  I don't know.  Did I just make it up?  I guess, but I do not see it as an arbitrary list.  Rather I see it as working hypotheses, a heuristic, meant to keep me safe.  Maybe it keeps me a little too safe.