One word: Amen. I absolutely loved this article and the reminder that those System 1 thoughts don't define us, but what we do with them does. And to your point, those System 1 responses are heavily ingrained. We LDS members like our check boxes of all sorts. Funny thing, I have fine line tattoos and multiple piercings, and I'm an active Latter-day Saint. But that doesn't stop me from seeing someone with tattoos and piercings and immediately question their activity level (go figure). Fortunately, I don't let those System 1 thoughts stick around. I gently remind myself to do better and move to System 2 thoughts--the kind that seek and build connection. There's definitely work to do, but that's where the growth happens. And I'm here for it.
I feel like in the church, judgement is occurring with our consent and full knowledge on the regular…ie worthiness interviews. So is it the chicken or the egg? Are people judgmental just by nature or is everyone living in an environment of constant judgement created by church doctrine and practices? “…both and…” Members have been taught to judge themselves by the standards that others have set, to allow themselves to be judged by others, and for those conducting the interview, it is fully expected that that person in charge should sit in judgment. In addition, a bishop is a judge….This kind of “checking up” on people is a well-defined practice of the church.
It reminded me of a quote from a book you turned me on to: “The beliefs I held so piously had, for all my life, without my consent or even awareness, contributed to a sense of religious privilege, superiority, and supremacy. Those beliefs deserved to be doubted, and if I had not doubted them, that supremacy would still reign as a covert monarch in my psyche.” -Faith After Doubt; Brian D. McLaren. It's a step in the right direction when one recognizes and exercises the courage to doubt beliefs that might cause one to judge or treat another unfairly or unrighteously. I learned in a discussion over the weekend that it can be extremely difficult to overcome, or even recognize, some of those embedded biases. From a very early age those biases, from others own life experiences and upbringing, are instilled and cemented in our young innocent consciences and hardened, as we grow older, through our social, community, political, and religious interactions. The odds are fairly slim that one can openly and honestly recognize them without experiencing something in life that questions and dislodges years, or even decades, of institutional thinking and training. Thank you for your insights and willingness to throw out tough questions that makes one think and evaluate. It's ok to doubt, as long as that doubt causes one to think, question, evaluate, and consider other possibilities and options.
Next time I'm asked to teach Elders Quorum at the last minute, I'm pulling out this gem. Thanks Roger!
One word: Amen. I absolutely loved this article and the reminder that those System 1 thoughts don't define us, but what we do with them does. And to your point, those System 1 responses are heavily ingrained. We LDS members like our check boxes of all sorts. Funny thing, I have fine line tattoos and multiple piercings, and I'm an active Latter-day Saint. But that doesn't stop me from seeing someone with tattoos and piercings and immediately question their activity level (go figure). Fortunately, I don't let those System 1 thoughts stick around. I gently remind myself to do better and move to System 2 thoughts--the kind that seek and build connection. There's definitely work to do, but that's where the growth happens. And I'm here for it.
I feel like in the church, judgement is occurring with our consent and full knowledge on the regular…ie worthiness interviews. So is it the chicken or the egg? Are people judgmental just by nature or is everyone living in an environment of constant judgement created by church doctrine and practices? “…both and…” Members have been taught to judge themselves by the standards that others have set, to allow themselves to be judged by others, and for those conducting the interview, it is fully expected that that person in charge should sit in judgment. In addition, a bishop is a judge….This kind of “checking up” on people is a well-defined practice of the church.
It reminded me of a quote from a book you turned me on to: “The beliefs I held so piously had, for all my life, without my consent or even awareness, contributed to a sense of religious privilege, superiority, and supremacy. Those beliefs deserved to be doubted, and if I had not doubted them, that supremacy would still reign as a covert monarch in my psyche.” -Faith After Doubt; Brian D. McLaren. It's a step in the right direction when one recognizes and exercises the courage to doubt beliefs that might cause one to judge or treat another unfairly or unrighteously. I learned in a discussion over the weekend that it can be extremely difficult to overcome, or even recognize, some of those embedded biases. From a very early age those biases, from others own life experiences and upbringing, are instilled and cemented in our young innocent consciences and hardened, as we grow older, through our social, community, political, and religious interactions. The odds are fairly slim that one can openly and honestly recognize them without experiencing something in life that questions and dislodges years, or even decades, of institutional thinking and training. Thank you for your insights and willingness to throw out tough questions that makes one think and evaluate. It's ok to doubt, as long as that doubt causes one to think, question, evaluate, and consider other possibilities and options.