Is there any problem with individual beliefs?

Question

If someone believes in X, doesn't matter if it's a popular belief or not, and they're quiet about it, it doesn't hurt nor influence anyone... the only way we'd know about said person's beliefs is if it ever came up in a specific conversation about religions. Believing in X makes said person very happy and content with life. Should other people try to debate it to death, even if it's absolutely not hurting anyone? Basically, is it more important to let someone believe what they want or shed their beliefs just because they aren't "logical"? IMO, let them believe whatever the hell they want, as long as they don't impose their views or hurt anyone else.

Answer 1

This is an interesting question. Obviously, one is able to choose to believe in anything they wish, regardless of what it may be. There is, after all, no way that a person - at least in the United States - can be forced to believe in something they don't wish to believe in. Indeed, unless an individual, through speech or action, indicates what they believe (assuming that they aren't lying), how can we know what a person actually believes?

Different from the question of whether or not someone is able to believe in whatever they please is the question "Is it a good idea to believe in whatever one pleases?" It would seem to me - and this is simply my opinion - that having beliefs that are irrational, that contradict reality, is a problematic state of affairs. Why? Because, as individuals living within a larger community, contributing to a larger community, the decisions we make have an impact on our fellow human beings. As the old saying goes, no man is an island.

For family, friends, fellow citizens, and fellow human beings, decisions based on irrational beliefs have consequences. Consider, for instance, if a person chose to believe that traffic signals were a lie and that they should be ignored? The consequences of practicing such beliefs are obvious.

Now, obviously, there's 'Wiggle Room' regarding one's beliefs. If one believed that leaving one's coffee cup in the kitchen sink before leaving the house would result in experiencing some tragedy that day, never leaving one's coffee cup in the sink, while irrational, is unlikely to cause anyone any harm. Nevertheless, if one believes that members of another race / ethnicity / religion are inferior or dangerous, this can have serious consequences if, for instance the person who holds these beliefs is a police officer, a religious leader, a judge, a teacher, responsible for issuing loans and mortgages, or a parent.