How Do You Allow Your Spiritual Beliefs to Guide You?

I'd like to discuss how you allow your religious or spiritual beliefs to guide your lives. I know so many people who claim to be this or that religion but who don't live by the tenets of their faith. It's like their religion is more of a social outlet or community outlet for them than a real belief they use as a guide for their actions and how they treat people.

I am not any particular religion and for many years I was agnostic. Until very recently actually. But the religious book I read most often is the Christian new testament. I admire Jesus greatly, he was a tremendous human being and I have found his words to be full of common sense, wisdom and guidance.

When I think on this I recall when my mother asked me how was I going to teach my children to be good and decent people without religion or a belief in god. She was genuinely curious and very puzzled that such a thing was even possible. My mother is very smart and has an advanced degree, but she could not understand how anybody could be a kind, decent, moral and good human being without a belief in god. Yet even still, she is one of those people who does not really live her life according to the rules of her religion or seem to really use her faith to guide her her life. I find this very confusing.

One way I use my spiritual beliefs is to try and not cause intentional harm to anyone unless it's a matter of life and death. I take this very seriously, even if it's just an argument, just words. Words are very powerful and the misuse of them can have devastating consequences to someone's emotional well-being. I am not always successful in understanding when I have hurt someone with my words, but when I do I try to make amends. If I can't bring myself to apologize (because they were in the wrong or deeply hurt me) I definitely cease talking to them about it.

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