The Sobriety of Reason
Logic is not the natural disposition of human beings. Sometimes it appears to not even be our goal. It appears, more often than not, that we would rather remain in a superstitious, folklore driven state of mind than to pursue logic. It also seems obvious that we will follow people who seem to have our best interests in mind or who give voice to our hopes or dreams or even our hatreds. And once we give them our loyalty, logic be damned because it has become a matter of belief, even one of faith.
It is how Jim Jones managed to convince the people to drink the poison. It is how Hitler came to power. It is also how the Apostle Paul founded churches and how Jesus became important beyond his temporal context.
What you see quickly from these four names is that the list is not necessarily one of evil and good, but that the people who followed (or follow) these names have ascribed to them ultimate truth. The nefariousness or benevolence of these to whom we ascribe power and fealty can only be seen in retrospect by others - perhaps not until decades later.
All four of these people were (or perhaps are) often cleaved to after or because of emotions. Acts of emotion, acts of passion, being caught up in the moment - these can be rewarding actions or actions that are quite dangerous. The merit of these actions can only be seen in the light of reason. One continues to follow because after the emotion wears off, one has to decide in the light of day whether or not one will validate the emotional decision. It is at this point one has to weigh the facts of the commitment as well as the evidence of the person or movement one seeks to follow. Are they demonstrable liars? Are they hiding or disclosing agendas? Does the sobriety of reason match the enthusiastic intoxication of emotion?
Rationality and logic can be too cold, though. It can be too stark in the face of facts. Emotion can be an opiate that prevents one from seeing too much too soon. On the other hand, as Dr. Joseph Collins (d.1950) stated, "by starving emotions we become humorless, rigid, and stereotyped; encouraged [emotions] perfume life; discouraged they poison it."
By turning the call to discipleship by Jesus into an emotionalized, jargon laced spectacle about getting saved is the means to get people to Jesus solely by emotion. Without reason, one does not examine the person of Christ or his actual teachings. Instead this emotional decision is more often directed towards the particular preacher or evangelist than it is towards the person of Christ.
Likewise, one's hatreds, fueled by the masterful oratory of Hitler become the overriding factor that prevents the rational examination of claims that, when examined, become horrific and break down quickly.
Emotions take no tutoring. Logic has to be taught But the lessons of logic are hard. Clear eyesight brings with it the perception of things of which the sight of is glorious. Yet there are levels of clarity that bring with them great sadness or even terror. Wisdom is not bliss.
Perhaps that is why the church has, over the last few centuries, pushed emotional driven decision making to swell the numbers. Emotions can drive a congregational growth spurt. Reasoned religion, though, takes work and works to make change dutifully and deliberately, recognizing it may not be welcomed and sadly watching people allow themselves to be consumed by that which does not have lasting substance.
This reason takes effort. Logic takes effort. Rationality takes an act of will. And it is not popular. For cooler heads to prevail, cooler heads have to exist. In their absence? What would the world look like?
It is how Jim Jones managed to convince the people to drink the poison. It is how Hitler came to power. It is also how the Apostle Paul founded churches and how Jesus became important beyond his temporal context.
What you see quickly from these four names is that the list is not necessarily one of evil and good, but that the people who followed (or follow) these names have ascribed to them ultimate truth. The nefariousness or benevolence of these to whom we ascribe power and fealty can only be seen in retrospect by others - perhaps not until decades later.
All four of these people were (or perhaps are) often cleaved to after or because of emotions. Acts of emotion, acts of passion, being caught up in the moment - these can be rewarding actions or actions that are quite dangerous. The merit of these actions can only be seen in the light of reason. One continues to follow because after the emotion wears off, one has to decide in the light of day whether or not one will validate the emotional decision. It is at this point one has to weigh the facts of the commitment as well as the evidence of the person or movement one seeks to follow. Are they demonstrable liars? Are they hiding or disclosing agendas? Does the sobriety of reason match the enthusiastic intoxication of emotion?
Rationality and logic can be too cold, though. It can be too stark in the face of facts. Emotion can be an opiate that prevents one from seeing too much too soon. On the other hand, as Dr. Joseph Collins (d.1950) stated, "by starving emotions we become humorless, rigid, and stereotyped; encouraged [emotions] perfume life; discouraged they poison it."
By turning the call to discipleship by Jesus into an emotionalized, jargon laced spectacle about getting saved is the means to get people to Jesus solely by emotion. Without reason, one does not examine the person of Christ or his actual teachings. Instead this emotional decision is more often directed towards the particular preacher or evangelist than it is towards the person of Christ.
Likewise, one's hatreds, fueled by the masterful oratory of Hitler become the overriding factor that prevents the rational examination of claims that, when examined, become horrific and break down quickly.
Emotions take no tutoring. Logic has to be taught But the lessons of logic are hard. Clear eyesight brings with it the perception of things of which the sight of is glorious. Yet there are levels of clarity that bring with them great sadness or even terror. Wisdom is not bliss.
Perhaps that is why the church has, over the last few centuries, pushed emotional driven decision making to swell the numbers. Emotions can drive a congregational growth spurt. Reasoned religion, though, takes work and works to make change dutifully and deliberately, recognizing it may not be welcomed and sadly watching people allow themselves to be consumed by that which does not have lasting substance.
This reason takes effort. Logic takes effort. Rationality takes an act of will. And it is not popular. For cooler heads to prevail, cooler heads have to exist. In their absence? What would the world look like?
Comments
Post a Comment