Ideologies and the Adventure of Faith

Last updated on: May 30, 2016 at 10:15 am by Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Ideologies and the Adventure of Faith 2016-05-30T10:15:22-05:00 Fr. Dwight Longenecker

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.

frodo_thumb[1] If you’re searching for the meaning of life, I’ve been thinking lately that there are really only three options.

The first option is nihilism. That is, that there is no meaning of life and the search for meaning if a fool’s errand, a wild goose chase, a pointless quest. If that is your point of view, then I guess you might as well stop reading this post right now and go make a sandwich.

However, if you believe there is some meaning to life, then there are two choices: faith or an ideology.

When I say “faith” I mean a particular kind of religious response to the mystery of life. I’ll explain more about this eventually, but I should say up front that the “faith” option is not simply the Catholic faith. I believe the Catholic faith is the fullest and most true and wonderful expression of the faith option, but there are many other forms of the faith option.

The third choice after nihilism and faith is an ideology. An ideology is any belief system which is adhered to unquestioningly and provides the matrix through which everything else is perceived and understood. An ideology is almost always linked with a legalistic understanding of human behavior. There is not only a set of beliefs which must be adhered to, but there is also a subsequent set of behaviors that are expected. Furthermore, the mark of an ideology is that those who follow it feel obliged to impose it on others. They logic goes like this: if their belief system and behaviors are the right ones, then it follows that other people should adopt those beliefs and conform to those behaviors.

Ideologies are everywhere. Some of them are formal and recognizable like Marxism, radical feminism, Nazism or White Supremacism. There are more ideologies, however that are cultural. These ideologies are woven into a culture more imperceptibly though media, education and cultural assumptions. So, in the USA, for example the ideology of human rights as the highest virtue is engrained in everything from legislation through to the assumptions of education, the media and everyday business dealings. Don’t get me wrong, a belief is not necessarily false just because it has become an ideology. Indeed, the most effective ideologies are based on beliefs that are true and good. They become ideologies when those truths are taken on their own or are out of balance or they are used to negate other truths.

What really makes this interesting to me is that religions can very easily become ideologies. Continue Reading

Image Creative Commons.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

May 28, 2016

Stories of the Unexpected

Next Post

May 30, 2016 The Third Fatima Secret: The Truth at Last!

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Anglican Matters Apologetics Architecture Blobble Study Book Reviews Brideshead Caitlin O'Rourke Catholic Art Catholic Culture Church Politics Chust for Nice Contemporary Culture Duane Mandible Ed Blanch Film Reviews Fr Harvey Nicolaitan Frank Viola Mantilla the Hon More Christianity Mrs Brady Catholic Old Lady Mystery of the Magi Norman Anderson Queen Hillary Saints and Supernatural Spirituality The Inklings The Vicar Theology Todd Unctuous Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 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 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz