“Why Don’t You Kill Them?”

“Why don’t you kill them?” My neighbor asked, after she repeatedly said how she killed all the cockroaches that she came across–if she exists, they cannot exist–but I told her I saw three cockroaches in my condo suite and I transported them out of my home.

I was stumped by her question. In my mind, I thought, ‘Why would I want to kill them?’ It doesn’t make sense.

My mouth agape, not knowing how to answer, because this shouldn’t even be a question, it’s common sense–why would I want to kill a living thing?

So I said, “I don’t kill.”

“Oh … Well, I don’t kill either.”

My mind going ?????? You just told me in multiple sentences describing how you stomped them the instance you saw them. Not just one or two, but all kinds of creatures that came into your home.

Anyway, I didn’t respond. I don’t know how to. How do you talk to people who say one thing and do another? You don’t, right?

“I know all things are God’s creation …” She went on rambling, knowing that she was not supposed to kill, but she also went on rambling about why those creatures absolutely must be annihilated.

I had no response. By the way, I am not religious.

. . .

The only thing I want to say, and not specifically to her, but in response to the behavior of saying one thing and doing another: Live your life in total alignment.

When you have a belief, value, principle, etc., be it not killing or whatever, you live it, you don’t just say it.