Ideas vs Beliefs

Dogma has a line that I made me think quite a bit and eventually I adopted it as a sort of motto.  At the point I saw the film I was already disenchanted with all forms of organized religion.  And this line, really struck me.

“I think it’s better to have ideas. You can change an idea. Changing a belief is trickier.”

As my own thoughts on spirituality continued to form, the line became more and more true to me.  Belief is something you defend.  Its part of what defines you. And people will staunchly defend a belief against all logic and evidence.  And I’m not talking about just religions.  Lots of things – Politics, Conspiracies, Morals, music, food…

I try to avoid making my opinions into beliefs.  It keeps me from refusing to accept new evidence.  Ideas are matters for development, they demand that you reconsider and change them as new information is gathered.  Beliefs are set in stone and have to be chiseled to be changed.