Understanding/Sympathizing/forbearing people

[tackattack]

I'm not confusing the two. I know a lot of people who also feel it needs to be earned by default. I have certain idealistic hopes for society though. I belive we should all have the right to believe what we like, live how we like (so as it's not affecting anyone else negatively), and love who we want. I try and show deference to those rights to everyone, which is basic repsect to me. Of course some are more respected than others, because they've earned more. My base value isn't 0 respect though.

Respecting someone's right to make a choice does not mean that you have to respect the choice itself.

Fine I agree with that

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Respect is one of the most abused words. Respect needs to be earned.

Wouldn't that ultimately depend on who's giving out the respect?

Yes. Respect is a personal, individual thing.

I tend to respect everyone as a default. (even though it may not be readily apparent to them)
They don't need to earn my respect, it's automatically given to them freely.
Kind of like Jesus supposedly offers grace freely.
All they have to do is accept it.

However, my respect can be lost.
And when it is lost, then it will need to be 'earned' back.

Baseless respect is worthless. Fake. Hypocritical. Untruthful.
Respect is not something you have an automatic right to. Being treated with civility and basic manners is something you have an automatic right to (unless prior fuck-ups). Not respect.

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You can use the word however you like RS, but according to my dictionary:
respect=deference to a right, privilege, privileged position, or someone or something considered to have certain rights or privileges; proper acceptance or courtesy; acknowledgment:

among other definitions. If you believe a person has any base rights that's some form of respect. Since you feel people should automaticaly treated with civility and basic manners, then that's respect in my book. Of course people can lose that, or earn more than that, but I grant them this also by default. My point was, without meeting, listening to, or knowing anything about soeone I grant everyone some level of respect. I'm sure there are some atheists here, that simply by putting some type of theism in their religious views section zero's out their respect. I don't wantto put words in your mouth, but would it be safe to assume that you agree with that view?