Church - The Original Echo Chamber
The following is a guest post by contributor Jim Ketchum. We support the sharing of ideas relevant to humanism here on our blog, but the views expressed in any guest post do not necessarily reflect the views of Humanists of Linn County.
In today's world we often get our news from sources that pander. They find out what you want to hear and then feed you more of that. The internet knows what you click on and they build a profile. Fox News and CNN do a version of that. Fox News is especially good at using that information to generate outrage. They really know their base and push buttons. Fox doesn't stop at pushing their views, their evening hosts spend a great deal of time bashing democrats.
So why can't we discern truth from fiction? And why do we allow ourselves to be manipulated? For some people, it starts with an early indoctrination at church. Well intentioned parents want their children to reap the benefits of religion and a way of life that has served them well. So it's off to Sunday school to learn the basics. But what do they learn? Preposterous stories of Earth's creation, Adam and Eve, and all about Noah's ark. And the number one thing they are taught is – a person who has been dead for over 2000 years loves them. They keep hearing that to a point “it must be true”. It becomes a matter of “faith”.
It is only later in life where many of us learn there are lots of religions around the world. They have some commonalities, but notable differences. Is Jesus the son of God? Not according to Jews and Muslims.
So in the context of today's news, are we conditioned to believe almost anything? Conspiracy theories abound. If we aren't very curious about different views, we end up in a silo. And with constant reinforcement, we become tribal.
Republicans vs Democrats. Religious vs secular. Urban vs rural - this divide becoming more pronounced. Rural tends to be less educated, more religious, and isolated. In small town meeting places the conversations are pretty similar to the way they were 40 or 50 years ago. They don't know or talk to anyone who isn't like them. Those that are “different” almost always move away. It used to be that you bridge that divide by listening and sharing views. But that has become nearly impossible because we don't agree on the facts.
I have found it very difficult to talk to friends and family who lean to the religious right. They see their church-centric way of life slipping away. Their views on politics and religion have gone from majority to minority and that scares them. They sometimes argue like cornered animals. I have friends who have shown a willingness to sacrifice principal for power.
There are some techniques and strategies that I have learned from HLC meetings that offer some hope. I encourage you participate in HLC meetings, if nothing more than a way to vent.
