Most people value respect. Some go so far as to tattoo the word on their bodies, or write hit songs about it that never leave the ears of casual radio listeners. However, respect is not important because it looks good in a cool font, or sounds catchy in song. Respect is vital because it recognizes the value of human beings and human lives.
Human life is unique, special and possesses something worth honoring and respecting. Each human being is made with dignity and every person has profound, inherent worth.
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We may not explicitly admit this, but we often realize it implicitly in our reactions—it's why we feel anger when injustice occurs. This anger acknowledges the value of human life, reacting against actions which show disregard for that value. We can understand that injustice is not good because it attacks something that is inherently very good: human dignity.
Respect is not just a practical value that makes it easier for people to have friends or make good impressions, but it is a moral value that acknowledges a person’s identity.
We often lack respect for others in critical places. Publically, people are identified by their differences, rather than their value as humans. Others are seen as “liberals,” “gays” or “bigots,” but never as “people.”
For Christians in particular, the value found in humans goes back to what is called “the Image of God.” Based on Genesis 1:27, Christianity teaches that each person possesses this image and is thus endowed with precious, God-given dignity, value, worth and beauty that should be prized and not disregarded.
I understand that many people are not Christians and may not hold to this belief, but there is something unique that it offers. It teaches that a person does not need to prove their worth or try to attain it by external means—it is inherent in who they are as made by God.
To ignore this is not only an ethical transgression, but a deeply spiritual one.
Regardless of differing beliefs or the disagreements present, the most important thing to remember is that we are all human beings with value. We cannot blind ourselves from this truth.
Everyone possesses views and opinions that are radically different from another’s. One person’s stance may infuriate someone else—it may even be incredibly wrong. But our views are not the sum of our humanity.
Even when we disagree with someone, looking beyond our differences to the person behind them can help remind us that we're interacting with another human being—a person with feelings, thoughts and a unique story.
Instead of dehumanizing those we disagree with, as we so often do, we must learn to acknowledge who they are in a dignifying way.
It's not always easy to remember someone’s humanity in the midst of intense disagreement, especially in our current political climate. In fact, it's much more natural to react against the entire person in the presence of an opposing idea.
In our Internet-saturated society, there are many barriers that can make someone seem less than human—sometimes it’s a screen, sometimes it's an assumption. Getting past these barriers isn't easy, but we possess the ability to make voluntary choices, even if it is difficult.
We can be offended—sometimes rightly so—while still expressing our thoughts and feelings in a way that simultaneously respects the humanity of the other person with whom we are speaking.
Together, this allows both parties to express what they believe in a safe place that affirms their humanity, while still allowing them to have a rich variety of opinions, voices and discussions. It affirms the dignity of all, even when opinions differ.
Respect is incredibly important, but showing respect is only one way to acknowledge the more important reality of human worth and honor who each individual is as a person.
When respect is given, it is not simply for its own sake, but for the sake of of the real person whose dignity it honors, even in the midst of vehement disagreement.
