Changing Minds

Last updated on: March 13, 2014 at 8:00 am by Cameron Trimble

Changing Minds 2014-03-11T14:15:13-05:00 Cameron Trimble

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

For some reason, I’ve been obsessing about the difference between faith and presumption. It is easy to see presumptuous belief systems in the fundamentalists who think they have the entire, and only, truth about God. When someone issues a religious edict I’m not sure what makes me angrier, the fact that they are so certain they are right, or the fact that I am so certain they are wrong.

You see, we all can be self-righteous and absolutely confident that we know the truth. Contrary opinions are just being obstinate. It is one of those things that is particularly difficult to recognize when we are doing it.

On the other hand, a principal reason that I believe progressive political and religious leaders are so ineffectual compared to our conservative and fundamentalist counterparts is that we are so reluctant to speak with conviction about what we hold to be our own absolute truths and passionate beliefs. Progressives tend to over intellectualize and rationalize everything. We speak in careful and nuanced terms. By the time someone wades through all of our qualifiers they have forgotten the point we were trying to make or they just don’t care anymore.

That really is the point. Jesus said “Humans do not live by bread alone.” What Mike Piazza keeps trying to say to the progressive church is that “Humans do not live by head alone either.” We have to learn to speak to people’s hearts at least as much as their heads.

One thing we have learned from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality movement is that facts matter a lot less than stories. When we are having a discussion with a family member or a co-worker about an issue we care about, you and I are determined to make them see the logic of our position. That is a losing position almost every time. If we simply would stop and tell a story of what we have known, or seen, or done, or felt we will have a much better chance. Changing hearts and THEN changing minds is much more effective than the reverse. I think that may be because faith is a matter of the heart, while presumption resides in our minds.

by Michael Piazza
Center for Progressive Renewal

Uncategorized

Previous Post

March 12, 2014

It May be a Very Very Long Sleep

Next Post

March 14, 2014 Perfectly Good Food and Wine

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 September 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How old was Abraham when he died?

Select your answer to see how you score.

150 years 175 years 200 years 125 years