Do our beliefs have practical consequences?
Does what we choose to believe have real-world implications? For ourselves or society at large? Or both, maybe? Even the planet?
What if I believe that the Bible is the literal word of God? Does that have any bearing over how I function in the world? Should it? Do most denominations of Christianity teach that to believe in Christ is to follow in his footsteps? To do things like turning the other cheek and treating my neighbors as I would have them treat me? To not judge others or to not cast the first stone? To love my enemies? To help others in need, even if they hate us? To forgive others?
If I actually believe all of those things, should I do them? Do I do them? Are those beliefs guides for my actions?
Are there other beliefs I could derive from the Bible, such as believing that owning slaves is permitted, so long as they come from neighboring lands? That homosexuality is an abomination? Or that the earth is ours to have dominion over? Have humans actually enacted or tried to enact policy based on those beliefs?
It seems obvious to state that there are different kinds of beliefs with different pertinences in different aspects of our lives. Certain beliefs affect our personal lives on a day-to-day basis. Some provide us with moral direction or social consciousness or practical value. Maybe some affect our relational lives, whether with family, friends, partners, neighbors, etc. Others may affect our professional lives. Are our beliefs the compasses for wandering the wilderness of our lives?
If so, that would make them seem pretty important. If you were lost in the wilderness, would you be the person that had tested out the reliability and accuracy of your compass before you left? Or, would you be the person who wished that you had? Are we all walking around with untested compasses? That is to ask, have we rigorously tested our beliefs before accepting them and applying them to all the situations that arrive in our lives?
There have been all kinds of beliefs humans have held that have changed the course of history on all scales. Is it the belief itself that causes people to act in certain ways? Or could it be the way we hold our beliefs? Do we hold beliefs with varying levels of certainty? For beliefs we feel rather certain about, are we more likely to enact that belief in real life? Or to fight to enact that belief? Do we sometimes conflate belief for knowledge? What is the difference between knowing and believing?