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A friend posed a question on Facebook that has intrigued me, so I thought I would pose the same question to my readers: Do actions equal beliefs? Is it possible to separate actions from beliefs? We have gone back and forth on the answer, and I am curious to know your thoughts. My first response was that actions do not always equal beliefs. After all, Christians sin every day. We believe the Bible; we believe in the Ten Commandments and the instructions for what is a sin. But still, as mere human beings, we sin. The next phase of the debate was whether the action changes the belief. In other words, if you commit a sin, does it mean that you no longer believe that action is a sin? Personally, I don't think it does. I think there are too many variables within the human mind and emotions to make an absolute statement that action equals belief. For example, I believe it is wrong to steal. However, if my child were starving and the opportunity arose, I would steal a loaf of bread or food to feed him in the absence of an alternate choice. That does not mean that I would no longer believe thievery is wrong or a sin. It would mean that, even believing it a sin, I would still choose that action to avoid my son's death by starvation and willingly accept the consequences of the sin. So then comes the dilemma of sin. The Bible tells us that all sin is equal, and the only unforgiveable sin is blashpemy against the Holy Spirit. Intellectually, I can grasp that concept. A sin is a sin is a sin, no matter how you put it. But emotionally and psychologically, I know that my reaction to the wrongness of a child molester is much stronger than to a mother who steals to feed her child. My human emotions and mental need to categorize the world around me create "degrees" of sin. I absolutely believe that any sin (except the blasphemy one) is forgiveable by God. But in my own mind, I have a much harder time granting forgiveness to a serial killer than a liar. God, thankfully, does not, but I do. I am imperfect, and I know it, and I accept that my imperfections will be answered for. But still, my actions do not equate to my core belief that all sin is equal. I suspect that a person's answer to the question posed may rely quite heavily on life experience. Some of you may have been faced with a situation in which you committed a wrong knowingly, but a wrong that was justified in your own mind. Justification does not necessarily mean that the wrong becomes a right. Some of you may not be able to even imagine a situation in which you would knowingly commit an action that went against a belief. So tell me, does action equal belief? Do our beliefs always have the power to override human compulsions and impulses? Is it possible to make a blanket statement that action equals belief, or does the complexity of human emotion and behavior render it a moot point?
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