I was browsing through de-conversion.com today when I stumbled upon a very relevant post. The best part is its premise has nothing to do specifically with religion. Rather, it deals with an aspect of the human condition I would personally like to overcome.In the post, LeoPardus examines our irrational reactions to certain truths, asking what revelations “press our buttons.” He also does a great job being fair to Christians and de-converts in his example (if you disagree, let me know as I have an inherently biased opinion on the matter). Some examples he gave:
- Are you, as a political liberal, perfectly happy when Rush Limbaugh turns out to be dead right about something? Especially if it’s something you strongly disagreed with him about?
- Are you, as a political conservative, glad to discover that Bill Clinton did something good? Especially if you thought him, “the worst president ever”?
- Are you, as a de-convert, willing to acknowledge the good done by the Christian faith in the world?
- Are you, as a Christian, willing to own up to the ugly side of your own denomination, own local church, or own personal failures to evidence “fruits of the Spirit?
To be honest, I fall victim to this type of mentality on a fairly consistent basis, and I’m a little ashamed to say I do. I feel I’ve done a good job working on it, but I need to accept facts as they come regardless of the source.The only aspect of my life where I recognize this sort of mentality is in my political convictions. I’m sure hope that’s the case, because then it isn’t very character shaping.
