Thank you for sharing this! I've been thinking about it since I read it yesterday. I believe my college experience formed me too. I was on the debate team, and we had to debate both sides of an issue. One round we'd be affirmative, and the next we'd be negative. Learning to effectively debate the position I did not agree with fostered critical thinking skills that I may not have otherwise developed. I am thankful.
Yes! I was never on debate but the discipline of positively presenting the other side is both charitable and as Spock might say - logical. That is essentially why my prof made me rewrite an entire paper - he did not give me an F, he said, "rewrite!" - to make me learn to be more objective in my approach to history. (In essence I was approaching Medieval thinking as if they should have been modern American evangelicals, because of course we had things right when they were all a perfect mess.)
Read this letter exchange on Kristin’s Substack. It took me back to my own liberal arts professors in what feels like a bygone era.
This quote, in addition to so many others, evoked a sense of longing in me: “The other part of the equation here is our capacity – as humans – to rationalize our behavior, even when it’s so obviously wrong or even evil. It must be agonizing for you to see this at work in your faith community.”
After what I have walked through in my own previous faith community, I feel this agony as an ache deep in my bones.
You are welcome, and thank you for reading. I think that is one of the most discouraging things but becomes less so once we realize its possibility, if that makes sense. We are not crazy to notice these things and should not be made to feel that way. A (sober) quote by Reinhold Niebuhr has helped me with this - “Religion is never a good force per se, but merely the final conflict between human self-esteem and divine mercy, and the one is as frequently victorious as the other." Blessings to you.
Thanks for sharing Chris. You are one of my favorite leaders that I have know personally. Your integrity, humility, and grace are a shining star in a time when so many others are dimming. Thank you for not caving to the unrighteous means.
Doing my best! I've certainly caved to fears, anxieties and other sin patterns in my heart. Thank you for the encouragement. You all are also some of my favorite people. Miss you guys!
Thank you for sharing this! I've been thinking about it since I read it yesterday. I believe my college experience formed me too. I was on the debate team, and we had to debate both sides of an issue. One round we'd be affirmative, and the next we'd be negative. Learning to effectively debate the position I did not agree with fostered critical thinking skills that I may not have otherwise developed. I am thankful.
Yes! I was never on debate but the discipline of positively presenting the other side is both charitable and as Spock might say - logical. That is essentially why my prof made me rewrite an entire paper - he did not give me an F, he said, "rewrite!" - to make me learn to be more objective in my approach to history. (In essence I was approaching Medieval thinking as if they should have been modern American evangelicals, because of course we had things right when they were all a perfect mess.)
Read this letter exchange on Kristin’s Substack. It took me back to my own liberal arts professors in what feels like a bygone era.
This quote, in addition to so many others, evoked a sense of longing in me: “The other part of the equation here is our capacity – as humans – to rationalize our behavior, even when it’s so obviously wrong or even evil. It must be agonizing for you to see this at work in your faith community.”
After what I have walked through in my own previous faith community, I feel this agony as an ache deep in my bones.
Thank you for sharing this with us.
You are welcome, and thank you for reading. I think that is one of the most discouraging things but becomes less so once we realize its possibility, if that makes sense. We are not crazy to notice these things and should not be made to feel that way. A (sober) quote by Reinhold Niebuhr has helped me with this - “Religion is never a good force per se, but merely the final conflict between human self-esteem and divine mercy, and the one is as frequently victorious as the other." Blessings to you.
I am grateful for Kristin Du Mez pointing me to this post of yours.
Thanks for sharing Chris. You are one of my favorite leaders that I have know personally. Your integrity, humility, and grace are a shining star in a time when so many others are dimming. Thank you for not caving to the unrighteous means.
Doing my best! I've certainly caved to fears, anxieties and other sin patterns in my heart. Thank you for the encouragement. You all are also some of my favorite people. Miss you guys!