Rethinking How Best to Live

People often share how their conversion was such a wonderful thing. I’m not arguing this point if this was your experience. It just wasn’t mine.

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

To me it didn’t seem like that great an idea when it meant abandoning everything I once thought made the most sense. In addition there is the awkward strain on relationships built around common life ideas that then become strained because someone got religion or something.

And that’s a big reason why so many people choose to continue living with ideas they know are wrong.

I get it.

And what is even more interesting is that it affects believers who simply change their minds, not so much about God’s existence, but how to understand him. After all, that’s the story of denominations.

People agree with one another about doctrine (a set of agreed religious beliefs) until they don’t, which then causes churches to split and new denominations to form. And the funny thing is everyone settles down where they believe they are closest to the truth - except this isn’t the whole story.

Just as there are the doctrinal purists insisting on conformity at least on important issues, there are also conformists prioritizing community who will accept a little doctrinal vagueness and even error in order to stay together.

And who is right or wrong always boils down to whose opinion we care to agree with.

This actually describes human nature in even broader terms than merely religious behavior. For example, we saw this played out not long ago with whether or not to wear masks in public.

Initially it began, not based on any good science, but out of fear of the unknown. This upended the understanding of how viruses spread then being taught in virology courses worldwide.

As far as the general public was concerned it started as an understandable fear of the unknown and we listened to trusted authorities little knowing at the time we had stepped into an arena of strong power players proclaiming their religious-like convictions.

When we were told to “follow the science,” initially those without scientific training chose (logically) to follow those in authority having credible medical and other advanced scientific degrees. However, those trained in how science actually works knew that the idea of “following science” is an absurdity - which would account for the quiet opinions of millions of scientifically literate people worldwide. They know that science is about skepticism and experimentation, not consensus. It functions by striving to root out errors in order to come closer to most accurately understanding how things in the known universe really work.

For the scientifically trained, whether to comply and promote public mask wearing, became a question about a personal cost/benefit ratio for bucking authority, especially when the authority are real live employers, members of licensing boards, or approval committees deciding who deserves massive amounts of grant money.

So what early on began as fear of the unknown morphed into fear of authority.

But it didn’t stay there.

At some point, after even the scientifically untrained began seeing that mask wearing provides no protection from an airborne virus, there was still tremendous hesitation to removing the mask. This persists up to the present even after most mask mandates have been lifted. Why is this?

Now, for the most part, I believe we are witnessing the fear of crowds, strangers, and alpha-dog personalities who live with or near all of us. Again, people are calculating their personal risk/benefit ratios as to whether or not to continue wearing masks. In which camp are they most likely not to be challenged or threatened by crowds, strangers, and outspoken friends and family members?

This is how whole societies can become psychologically stuck living for the most part with ideas they know to be false.

Why?

It all comes from fear, which is the flip side of power. Power works by stoking fear in order to coerce cooperation.

So what began as my thoughts about the discomfort of conversion has led to thinking about an important universal life lesson, having actually little to do with religion or face mask wearing. We are actually reflecting on the critical importance of operating out of personal autonomy as the best way to live the one life we have been given.

Recovery and growth into a life of meaning and beauty begins by stepping into that scary place of risking the disappointment of others in order to do, what we can best discern, in the moment, to be right and best. And these do not come out of feelings and intuition but searching and struggling to find that one good path leading to God.

Photo by Joel & Jasmin Førestbird on Unsplash