I've been thinking some pretty deep thoughts lately. Well, I take that back, I think deep thoughts a lot. Today's deep thought is do people's opinions, thoughts, experiences have worth if they are apposed to the opinions, thoughts, experience of my own? Do I see people as unworthy of their thoughts? Do I see opinions that are not based on fact as unworthy of being heard? What exactly are opinions? Do my opinions have worth? Do the opinions of others that do not fit the facts of my own experience have worth?
Someone said something very interesting today and it went something like this. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but if it is not based on fact it has no worth. This really made me think. How do I feel about the opinions of others that I don't agree with? My husband loves snow, I don't. I give his opinion of snow worth despite the fact that I really don't care for the stuff. This opinion really isn't based on any facts other than the fact that snow makes him happy. So, I suppose it is based on fact, just not my fact. My facts don't match his facts, but both opinions have worth.
The same could be said of God. My experience are my facts. My experience of God is a loving one, a universal one. I pray to God and in my experience, God is everywhere, in every religion. He does not discriminate. He is not an elitest and does not belong to one religion over another. This is my opinion and is based on the facts of my own experience of who He/She is. My facts do not match the facts of others who have a different experience of who God is. So, does my opinion have worth? Does my vision of God have less worth because it is not based on the "facts" of what the Bible says? Does my relationship with God have less worth? Am I not entitled to the blessings of God because I have a different view?
I find this interesting. I can't answer this question on my own. In my opinion I am very much entitled to relationship with God based on the "facts" of my own experience. My opinion has worth wether based on your facts or not. Fortunate for me I have a very strong understanding and relationship with God and unfortunate for others who can't see what I see, it is not based on what the Bible says. This is not to say that I don't find worth in the Bible. I keep a Bible next to me always. I also keep The Dhamamdpada next me and I also keep the Tao Te Ching next to me. I find worth in everyone's opinion.
Opinion is just what it is. It is based always on fact. Those facts may not match the facts of your life and even so, it is still of value. The facts of my experience with ice cream has lead me to believe that it is delicious! I know some who find ice cream to be undesirable, as strange as this may seem to me, I value her opinion. Her opinion is valid and has worth because this is a fact in her life. She just doesn't like ice cream. This fact is not a fact for me. My fact is not a fact for her. We are both right.
