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Opinions should never be forced

Posted on Nov 03, 2009 in Opinion

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Recently, there was a man standing outside of the Hill University Center holding large signs and enthusiastically preaching to passersby. I didn’t stop to listen to this man either of the two times I saw him out there (I was in a hurry), so most of what he said never reached my ears. All I know is that his gigantic signs were telling me that I am going to hell.

I was raised in church and am still a Christian with Christian beliefs. However, not everyone at UAB is a Christian and not everyone at UAB believes in hell and heaven or God. It’s understandable that this man — who I’ve been told is called Brother Jesse — picks college campuses to do his preaching. He knows he will find a large number of people in one place. And not just any people, but young, impressionable college students.

Now, if I didn’t stop to listen to Brother Jesse, how do I know he meant to tell me that I am going to hell? His signs said something along the lines of “sinners go to hell.” According to my personal beliefs, I am a sinner because I have lied, and according to my belief system, lying is a sin. In fact, it’s a good bet that everyone — or at least an overwhelming majority of people — has lied. So do I believe that everyone is going to hell because everyone has lied? Absolutely not.

I just shared my opinion. I am not forcing it upon anyone or telling anyone that my opinion is the only opinion that matters. This is why people like Brother Jesse bother me. His signs — and I assume his words — seemed to be meant to tell people that what he believes is the absolute truth. That all sinners, however he defines them, are going to hell.

Those signs didn’t say, “God will probably send you straight to hell if you’ve sinned at all.” They specifically said that Jesus will see to it that anyone who sins gets a one-way ticket to the fiery beyond. Who’s to say Brother Jesse is right? A Buddhist believes differently from a Christian, and a Zoroastrian believes differently still; which person believes in the correct reality? The answer is simple: all three.

Since religion tends to be a sensitive subject, let’s move to something slightly less heavy. I don’t eat beef or pork or basically any animal that has hooves. The reason cows and pigs don’t find their way onto my dinner plate is because I believe they are treated inhumanely even before they are slaughtered. That’s my opinion. However, my best friend loves cheeseburgers and he eats one every time we go to Milo’s together. I don’t believe my best friend is wrong for eating beef because he likes it; he might not believe the animals are mistreated, and it’s his right to believe whatever he wants. On the other hand, I’ve been told I’m “insane” for not eating beef. That hurts a little; just because the person who insulted me loves to eat steak doesn’t mean that anyone who doesn’t is mentally incapacitated.

On a considerably less heavy subject, I overheard someone say that “Vampire Diaries” is the “best show ever.” That show isn’t exactly my cup of tea, but I don’t think any less of that person just because we disagree. If that person had said, “‘Vampire Diaries’ is the best show ever, and you’re stupid if you don’t feel the same way,” I would think less of her because she would have been forcing her opinion upon me.

Whether it’s about convincing someone they’re going to hell or convincing someone they’re stupid because they don’t like a certain television show, forcing opinions down the throats of others is — in my opinion — wrong.

It may be strange for me to say this in the opinion section of a newspaper, but it’s true. Everyone — myself included — should be careful to make sure they share their opinions rather than force their opinions. This can be accomplished simply by using phrases such as “I believe,” “in my opinion,” or even words like “should” or “might” rather than “is.”

It is important to gain knowledge about others’ opinions and to understand viewpoints that differ from your own. There’s a whole world out there to experience by learning about other people’s opinions.

However, it’s also important to have your own free will to believe whatever you want. No one should try to take that away from you — and that’s my opinion.

Email: hwebber@uab.edu

 

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