MB: Hi Rachel,
This essay shows a high level of sophisticated thinking, even though it has some minor problems.I really like sections like this:
R: “When individuals use preference as a filter to perceive the world and form judgements, they restrict their ability to think with objectivity and close themselves off to new horizons of beneficial knowledge that come with a willing mind to learn from others. They create a world in their own minds where their extreme beliefs and ideologies are the only ones that are truthful and need to be taken seriously, while dismissing everything that is located outside of their zone of familiarity without giving it any thought as to whether it has any prospect of being viable. Most of the time, those kinds of people don’t use logic or choose to reject logical and critical thinking; they create a mechanism of self-defense that involves rejecting anything when it starts to challenge their beliefs system and ideologies. Making them uncomfortable to use their brains because of the fear of discovering that what they hold as true is in fact not, what they believe to be right is in fact wrong. They lock themselves in a bubble made of voluntary ignorance, but they call it protection. Because of their utmost desire for comfort, even though it is the root of their mediocrity, they build walls between themselves and the rest of the world to create a form of security. Because they are unsure of what to anticipate, they feel reluctant to venture outside of their familiar surroundings and enter a world where they will need to prove the viability of their beliefs with proof.”
MB: I do feel as if you turn your back on this powerful stance near the end of the essay, trying to come to terms with your faith you shoehorn a very problematic statement from a Christian writer about any other way of seeing the world as being lacking/problematic:
R: “The article "Shaping a Christian Worldview: An Introduction (Part I)" by David S. Dockery aims to argue that everyone has a worldview, whether conscious or unconscious, and a Christian worldview is more than just a personal religious statement or a theory. The author then compares a Christian worldview to various contemporary and postmodern worldviews such as naturalism, existentialism, nihilism, deism, pantheism, new-age spirituality, and postmodern relativism. The article demonstrates how these worldviews fail to give sufficient solutions to basic life issues, leading to moral perplexity, spiritual emptiness, and cultural degradation. The author also warns against the perils of syncretism, which is the mingling of disparate worldviews with no coherence or consistency. He also encourages Christians to acquire critical thinking and assessment abilities so that they can understand the underlying worldviews behind many ideas and expressions in our culture.”
If this is what Dockery is saying, it seems to me, that he is doing exactly what you are critiquing in the earlier parts.
1) He is saying every way of seeing and being in the world, but the Christian way is wrong.
2) As you have written it, I see no evidence or thought of why that is. The listing of seven extremely different ways of being in and seeing the world and then blanket dismissing them as destructive is problematic and wrong. I’ll defend the one I am closest to, existentialism does not leave me morally bankrupt, spiritually empty or culturally degraded. In fact, my understanding and study of existentialism has led to a complex understanding of a spiritual worldview and moral/ethical code, it isn’t Christian, instead I have formed it in conversation with multiple ways of seeing/perceiving our human condition (including Christian thinkers).
3) Your acceptance of Dockery’s reactionary attitude toward syncretism seems very problematic as you were stating in the lead up to this that we should be open to other ways of thinking/perceiving. Syncretism is simply the combining of two or more forms of thought or belief. Why would this be a threat to Dockery? Does he fear any challenge to his very strict and limited worldview? If a Christian wanted to also accept some of the precepts/ideas of Buddhism into their practice, is that a bad thing? Or, if a feminist sought to retain their Christian faith by critiquing its patriarchal traditions, would that be problematic? It seems that Dockery is shutting down the more thoughtful and open members of his faith.
I’m saying this Rachel, because I am truly impressed by the sophistication of your ideas/thought and hope to encourage you to both embrace your faith and remain open to other ways of seeing the world. Christianity, and our society, needs open, critical thinkers like you.
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Having received her grade, and not being required to do so, she still went back to the essay and revised that section (the essay) below. I was blown away and impressed by her desire to think critically and be open, while staying true to her deeply held faith.
People like this make me optimistic about the possibility of bringing peace to our world 😊
PS – I asked for written permission to share this.
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It's all in your head, they say. When we
take the time to analyze and research how our perceptions might affect us, this
seemingly impotent phrase becomes quite powerful. Why is perception so
powerful, you may ask? The answer is simple: the way we elect to see the world,
interact with others, process information, create opinions, and live our lives
is influenced by our perception. Whatever or whoever shapes our perception
controls our lives. Meaning, the way we act, interact, and make decisions is
slightly influenced, consciously or subconsciously, by what we believe to be
true and how we select to interpret information. Furthermore, our actions,
decisions, and judgments are simply the mirror through which we see the results
of how the units of perception we use affect us on a daily basis. Understanding
how perception works and learning how to control it can transform the most mediocre
mind into one that is gloriously brilliant and astute. I have been on a journey
for answers, knocking at various doors in the hope of finding someone who could
silence the noise of my unanswered questions about the effect of perception on
the human mind. I have dived deep into the fascinating world of perception with
a mind filled with questions, and at the end of my quest for answers, I have
come to these conclusions. There are three types of people: first, those who
radically choose only to perceive the world through their ideology and what
they believe to be true and correct, regardless of whether it is logical or
not; secondly, those who combine their beliefs and critical thinking; and
finally, those who elect to see the world through the prism of critical
thinking and logic, wanting everything to be logical and explicable. With the
knowledge I have gained, please bear with me as I aim to illuminate your mind
regarding the power of perception in the following paragraphs.
Beliefs are a basic component of our everyday human
experience; we cannot go one day without them. In fact, we need them to
function. The word “belief” has many meanings that very across disciplines of
inquiry. However, among the most common is the noncontroversial definition that
a belief is a mental state in which a person regards particular propositions as
true (Schwitzgebel, 2011). Beliefs are invisible yet potent drivers of our
perception. When it comes to how we choose to perceive the world, handle
challenges, create a line between good and evil, and live our lives, beliefs
seem to have a particularly large impact. to comprehend the impact extremist
ideologies and beliefs may have on a person. We must draw a line between facts
and preferences, reality, and delusion.
Political
scientists contend that, in contrast to Mannheim, in performing the functions
of mobilizing people, whether by class, group, nation, party, race, or sex,
ideology can serve as a root of both stability and instability, concord and
conflict. (Nancy S. Love). Prefernce is defined as a greater liking for one
alternative over another or others, whether true or false, rational, or
irrational. In contrast, a fact is an assertion that has been proven as true or
known. A fact cannot be changed or refuted. One thing can be perceived as correct
and rational for one group and not for another, depending on their
preferences—preferences that take their source from their beliefs, whether they
are true or not. When individuals use preference as a filter to perceive the
world and form judgements, they restrict their ability to think with
objectivity and close themselves off to new horizons of beneficial knowledge
that come with a willing mind to learn from others. They create a world in
their own minds where their extreme beliefs and ideologies are the only ones
that are truthful and need to be taken seriously, while dismissing everything
that is located outside of their zone of familiarity without giving it any
thought as to whether it has any prospect of being viable. Most of the time,
those kinds of people don’t use logic or choose to reject logical and critical
thinking; they create a mechanism of self-defense that involves rejecting
anything when it starts to challenge their beliefs system and ideologies.
Making them uncomfortable to use their brains because of the fear of
discovering that what they hold as true is in fact not, what they believe to be
right is in fact wrong. They lock themselves in a bubble made of voluntary ignorance,
but they call it protection. Because of their uttermost desire for comfort,
even though it is the root of their mediocrity, they build walls between
themselves and the rest of the world to create a form of security. Because
they are unsure of what to anticipate, they feel reluctant to venture outside
of their familiar surroundings and enter a world where they will need to prove
the viability of their beliefs with proof.
Now
with a scenario, I will help you to visualize how perception, through the
delusion of what we believe reality to be, can affect people. You wake up all
excited; it’s the first day of high school. You’ve been thinking about this all
summer; you’ve made up thousands of stories in your head about this day. You
don’t want to be late, so you get yourself ready a little early. You want to
make a good first impression, so you wear your best outfit. You arrive exactly
on time, but as soon as you walk into the first class, everyone bursts into
laughter. They are laughing for no apparent reason, but you believe they are
laughing at you, so you move as swiftly as you can. You choose a seat where you
won't be seen for the remainder of the day or even the entire academic year.
You don't realize that they weren't laughing at you, but rather at the joke
that had just been delivered seconds before you entered the room. However, when
the same thing happens to someone else, they decide to disregard it and carry
on with their day as usual. Despite the possibility that it is untrue, they
convince themselves through their delusion that those individuals are simply
fanatics and that they are the most stylish people. When delusion takes the
place of reality in someone’s mind, their perception of a thing can either
become a blessing or a curse. Delusion is a belief that has no evidence and is,
in fact, a complete illusion. It casts a person in a fictional universe where
they consciously choose not to acknowledge reality and solely perceive things
according to how they ought to see them. Many people who are bound tightly
believe that they are extremely free, while others who are free perceive that
they are not. Delusional individuals are content in their fantasy, which places
them in invisible, appealing cells, so that they may never feel the desire to
leave what they perceive to be the ideal world filled with comfort and an illusion
of a perfect reality to go discover what the "wild world" has to
offer. In essence, our mind is bright and pure, yet it is obscured by clouds of
delusions. But even the biggest delusions may be banished from our brains, just
as the heaviest clouds can evaporate. (Kelsang Gyatso).
Consumers
of faith healing perceived their health status to be good due to the perceived
effectiveness of faith healing for curing health problems. (Peprah, P. 3). The
absence of a human explanation for something does not exclude the use of the
provided evidence to demonstrate its correctness. If someone believes that they
are healed yet all the signs show the opposite, then their beliefs are without
a doubt wrong. However, if all available scientific evidence demonstrates that
they have an incurable medical condition, they don't deny it; they are aware of
the illness's presence within their bodies. Nevertheless, they choose to hold
the opinion that what science deems to be incurable is not, and as a result,
they recover, so their beliefs need to be accepted as true since they have been
supported by viable evidence. Those who use not only their beliefs but also
critical thinking to perceive things don’t ignore reality; in
fact, they enjoy having their beliefs questioned because they don't just
believe because they need something to fill the void inside of them or their
existential crises; they believe because they possess evidence for the veracity
and efficacy of those beliefs. As a result, they don't close themselves off out
of the dread of having their beliefs challenged and come crashing down like a
house built on swampy ground. They see reality through the prism of their
beliefs, but they critically evaluate each one of them. They accept their
struggles and limitations; instead of hiding behind what they believe, they use
them to overcome what could be thought to be insurmountable.
The
article "Shaping a Christian Worldview: An Introduction (Part I)" by
David S. Dockery aims to argue that everyone has a worldview, whether conscious
or unconscious, and a Christian worldview is more than just a personal
religious statement or a theory. This statement holds a sense of truth, but
while Christianity is not just a preference, those who base their perception on
it should not reject the viability of other sources but rather employ critical
thinking to judge all of them objectively without any bias. And if, at the end
of their examination, they obtain the ultimate proof that their perception of
things can solve the unsolvable and answer the unanswerable, they shouldn’t try
to enforce their point of view on others but instead let them decide for
themselves. He who is completely certain of the veracity of his beliefs and
ideologies does not force them on others, but rather provides them with
evidence and allows them to make their own decisions. If Christian beliefs are
considered to be the ultimate truth or more viable by those who hold them, then
they should be able to defend themselves by providing concrete evidence that
supports the argument they present and separate themselves from the shadows of
what they believe to be false or wrong.
The
accuracy of perception, which is a difficult process of processing the
information obtained from the senses, affects a person's capacity for thought.
As a result, critical thinking is a particular kind of thinking that occurs
when a person applies logic and reasoning to draw conclusions about the world,
things, or circumstances. Those who elect to see the world through the eyes of
critical thinking and logic alone can be counted among the smartest minds,
having the astute ability to solve problems when it comes to rational issues. But
in contrast, they reject everything that they have no understanding of and that
fails to make sense from a logical point of view, only finding the substance of
their existence in things they completely comprehend. They possess an imaginary
capacity filled with borders that they refuse to cross out of fear of the
unexplainable unknown. Now, let me introduce you briefly to imagination. The
literal meaning of imagination is the ability or process of creating fresh
conceptions for or mental representations of outside objects that are not
physically existent. Employing our imaginative abilities necessitates the use
of logic and critical thinking. Nevertheless, logic, in a way, can restrict
someone’s ability to think outside the box and perceive the world with a touch
of more than just reason, aborting the expended ability of their imagination to
remain in the safety of laws or what is considered to be natural and normal; But
it's essential to bear in mind that natural and normal may differ between
various categories of individuals.
In
conclusion, our source of perception, whether it be critical thinking, logic,
or beliefs, can either open us to new vistas or confine us in a bubble that
imposes limitations and isolates us from the rest of the world. making us
believe that only our ideologies are right and that everyone else is mistaken.
Or turn us into open-minded people who are not scared to cross the boundaries
of the unknown world to gain knowledge and a sense of more. When we force
ourselves to accept something negative that is only true in our imagination
through perception, we convert ourselves into our own enemies and push us to
self-destruct. However, when we do it correctly, learning to control our
perception can become a superpower that unlocks a world full of opportunity and
diversity; in contrast, when we do it wrong, it can turn us into
limbless-minded individuals. Perception is crucial, and so is the lens through
which we choose to view the world. We will have all we need to build a better
world and life for ourselves once we learn and comprehend how our perception of
things has the potential to influence us either positively or negatively. By
learning and becoming familiar with how powerful perception is, we will be able
to break free from self-sabotage and think outside the box.
References
Dockery, David S. “Shaping a Christian Worldview: An Introduction (Part I).” Union University, a Christian College in Tennessee, (Nd) https://www.uu.edu/centers/faculty/teaching/article.cfm?ID=364
Kelsey Schultz.” Delusions: Definition, Causes, & Examples” Berkely Wellbeing Institute, (nd) https://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/delusions.html
Leicester, Mal. Teaching Critical Thinking Skills. Bloomsbury Academic, 2010.
Love, Nancy S. “Introduction: Ideology and Democracy." Dogmas and Dreams: A Reader in Modern Political Ideologies, ed. Nancy s Love. 4th Edition.” C Q Press College, 2006. pp 1-10
Peprah, P., Gyasi, R.M., Adjei, P.OW. et al. Religion
and Health: exploration of attitudes and health perceptions of faith healing
users in urban Ghana. BMC Public Health 18, 1358 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-6277-9
Schwitzgebel E. Edward N, editor. Belief. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2011 Retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/belief/
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