Eagerly Jumping To Conclusions

We’re all guilty of this.

Confirmation bias.

It’s when we hear something that aligns with what we believe, and immediately latch on to it without knowing the full story, without checking sources, without reflection.  We like it because we see it as proof that we were right all along.

I’ve done this with newspaper headlines. I’ll read it, think “Yep, they’re at it again,” and move on. I’m more naturally drawn to articles, reports, and comments that make me feel better about what I already think.

This can be reinforced by Cognitive Dissonance. This happens when we look back on two options, convincing ourselves we made the right choice, because otherwise we were a fool. No one wants to think of themselves as a fool.

It should be no surprise to readers of this feature that I prefer to focus on the things of God, his Kingdom, the Lordship of Jesus, and the imperfect Church [there is none other]. I think the things that are eternal are a much better investment of my short life.

I’d like to share some reflections on how I’ve noticed some people respond to the historic Christian message, eagerly jumping to conclusions. The following are a few examples of when someone’s bias reinforces their rejection of the historic faith.

1. “There’s far too much suffering in the world. There can’t possibly be a god.” There’s a whole section of theology that deals with this thorny topic: Theodicy. The answers aren’t quick and simple, but it can be explained. Few bother.

Sometimes their rejection of God is based on the assumption that humans are as smart as God. That bias never ends well.

2. “The Bible can’t be true, there are too many contradictions.” It’s true that a quick glance at a couple texts may make it appear that they can’t be reconciled. But once the background information is included, those alleged contradictions usually fade away. The situation becomes more clear. Context. Context. Context.

3. “The Bible/Church doesn’t match my prejudices, assumptions, or accept how I want to live my life.” This one may have some merit.

Thousands of years ago the Bible told us “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” [Judges 21:25 NIV] Sound familiar?

The conceit that we are as smart or smarter than God means that humans should have created a utopia by now. And where is that? I’m looking. Nope.

But I’ll agree that how people believe may not match the Bible or the efforts of the imperfect Church. Yet the track record of billions of Christians doing their best to rise above the ordinary may tell us that there is a better way.

4.  “The Church is _______. I can’t be a part of that.”  I addressed that topic in a previous article.  [https://davesoucie.wordpress.com/2023/10/27/unchurched-tells/]

5. “The Church / Christian faith is full of ________.”

It is so easy to embrace the caricatures.

In the 20th century, atheistic dictators [Hitler, Stalin, Mao Zedong, Pol Pot…] murdered well beyond 100 million people. Should I then assume that every atheist I’ve spoken with is a mass murderer?

What if a couple young men of a different race are behind me heading in the same direction as I’m walking? Do I overreact and call a cop?

A shameless TV preacher with a lavish lifestyle preaches a false gospel, which is an embarrassment to the Church.  Do we then condemn and reject 99.999% of other pastors as guilty by association?

Everybody’s messed up in some ways. [Rom. 3:23] But picking the worst examples of any group, and assuming that they are normative for the rest, means you’ll never be able to associate with anyone.  Sounds lonely.

6. “The Church needs to get with the times, and agree with me”

Recently there have been efforts to reinterpret the Bible to match current social positions. This is based on the assumption that an all-knowing God [unless you are smarter] intentionally allowed the Church to be misled for 2,000 years, and has only now decided it’s time to reveal the real truth. That would mean he meant for billions of believers in the past to believe the wrong things. I don’t think he cares for and loves us more than he cares for and loves them.

Final reflection: If you look for the worst of any group, or cherry pick the subjects that offend you without taking in the whole, or try to justify your prejudices by attacking anything that is a threat, you will cut yourself off from that which might be wonderful, from a community that can change your life for the better.

It’s never good to just reinforce what I believe without some thought. Routine knee-jerk reactions just lead to sore joints and sore heads. I read things that don’t agree with my faith, and that has helped me rethink some things, and refine others.

If you love to bash the historic Christian faith, or the Church Jesus gave us, you might consider trying that.

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Dave Soucie lives, serves and writes in Indianapolis.

Copyright © 2024 by Dave Soucie.  All rights reserved [but permission is granted for non-commercial use only, with proper citation and by informing the author].

Unchurched Tells

Experienced card players look for “tells,” some change in facial expression or an involuntary physical action that reveals another player is bluffing, or has an exceptionally good hand.

The one who signals the tell doesn’t know what they’ve done, but others notice.

I’ve noticed some tells by people who criticize the Church, signals to me that they are truly, grossly, uninformed.

1. “Everyone tries to outdress each other.”

When I hear this, it tells me that the speaker hasn’t been in 99% of churches in decades.

I dress business casual, and so do many men. But there’s an equal number of guys in jeans, frequently with a t-shirt. Same with most of the ladies. Ties and dresses are more rare. I think this is true for most congregations.

There is a small minority of churches that expect suits and ties for the men, and a nice long dress for women. They see this as giving their best to God and I’ll not criticize them for that choice.

2. “The music is slow, dreadful and morbid.”

Long ago most churches shifted to a more contemporary music style, with upbeat tunes and perhaps a worship band.

Sometimes I like to hear some old hymns, especially if they are up tempo and perhaps even sent to a different tune. The message in the lyrics is still meaningful. But even some masterful old hymns done in the traditional way are very moving.

Some churches have chosen to stick with the older style because it better serves their demographic. But we’re seeing less and less of this.

To complain that the music is outdated is to reveal someone hasn’t been in a service in most congregations for a very long time, if ever.

3. “All those churches do is attack each other.”

It’s been my experience at 99% of all churches agree on 99% of the Christian faith. The 1% difference may or may not even matter. Some people like robes and incense and candles and that’s fine. Other churches have a service that’s practically a hootenanny, and that’s okay. God doesn’t care about that stuff.

If the difference is doctrinal, it’s okay as long as churches are polite to each other. From what I’ve seen 99% of all churches are polite to the other 99%. They may not all agree on a few things, but they agree on most things. They see each other as allies, not enemies.

4. “Christians are so hateful, condemning people that don’t agree with them.”

This is a common complaint by two groups.

Some haven’t understood the commitment believers have made to their Lord, who preached a message of openness and acceptance. This does not mean that Jesus wanted his people to abandon the standards he taught and celebrate behavior he clearly condemned. It does mean that he wants the church to be willing to have open arms to all who seek him. You can’t do that and be hateful. He said “Love your neighbor as yourself.” [Matthew 22:39]

There are rare exceptions to this, congregations known for their hateful speech. The reason these congregations make the news is that they are newsworthy, standing out, different than the vast majority of congregations. That itself should tell you something.

The other group that thinks Christians are hateful are those who are touchy, because the expectations of a Godly life are in contradiction to how they live. Their life choices have been challenged, and they don’t like it.

5.  “All churches talk about is money.”  

It’s true, some churches go overboard when it comes to fundraising.  Most pastors know this is a touchy subject, and rarely talk about money.

Sometimes they must, since Stewardship is an essential part of the Christian life.  Christians are to give their whole lives to God lock, stock, and barrel.  Returning 10% to him [the historic tithe] is the least they can do to show gratitude.

There is also the need to cover ongoing expenses.

But it’s a gross exaggeration to say that ALL churches do is talk about money ALL the time.  It tells me that the speaker is out of touch with the real Church.

6. “You are the most spiritual person I know.”

This one is a dead giveaway.

I know countless believers closer to God than I have ever been, or ever hope to achieve. I try, I really do. I may have a better relationship with my Lord than some. I would like to believe my understanding of Scripture and the Christian faith is well informed.

But if someone says I’m the most spiritual person they know they are revealing their hand. They can’t possibly know that many Christians. Sorry, but they just can’t. I know myself well enough to see many [but not all] the ways I fall short.

Why are so many people so misinformed about the church?

Sometimes it’s because they’re only real exposure has been what they’ve seen in movies or on TV. Those caricature stereotypes don’t match the vast majority of congregations and pastors. Script writers routinely exaggerate to make drama.  We all know that’s not real life.  And then you have the TV preachers, many of whom give the rest of us a bad image.

Some may have some distant childhood memory of a church experience that the years have warped. Their impression could be completely off, but they maintain the memory as if it were accurate.

Perhaps the number one reason people don’t understand the reality of the Christian faith comes down to their flawed sources. Most of what most people think they know about God, the Bible, Jesus and the Church comes from misinformation from uninformed family and friends who have little or no idea what they’re talking about.

Instead of assuming that our prejudices are fact, we’d all be better off if we made the effort to be better informed. That’s true for me, and I try not to let my presuppositions cloud my judgment. I suspect I’m not the only one who needs to watch what I think and say.

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Dave Soucie lives, serves and writes in Indianapolis.

Copyright © 2023 by Dave Soucie.  All rights reserved [but permission is granted for non-commercial use only, with proper citation].

A Farmer Walks Into A Bar….

Hummm. That’s not it. A farmer walks into a Pilates studio. Yeah, no. Chuck E Cheese. No. Nail salon? Wait, field. That’s it! Field.

A farmer walks into a field. He reaches into his bag of seed, grabs a handful, and starts spreading it back and forth in front of him as he slowly walks down the first row.

Some of the seed lands on the path nearby. Lots of people have walked back and forth across the path and it’s extra hard, packed down by family, neighbors and random strangers.

That seed doesn’t have much of a chance. If left long enough, and given ample water, it might take root. But to the birds it’s just fast food, gobbled up like hot fries on the drive home.

Analogy Alert:  This is about people who are offered a chance to hear and claim God’s truths, but whose hearts are so prejudiced, hard, that they won’t even consider the possibility that those truths are helpful, meaningful and could change their world.

Other seed lands on dirt that is not only filled with rocks, but only has a few inches of topsoil, and underneath that a layer of rock. When they begin to germinate, they grow fast because they like the warm soil heated up by the sun shining on the exposed rocks. But since they can’t sink their roots in deep, they can’t last. They grow fast at first, then wither.

Analogy Alert: These people get all excited about God, but are a flash in the pan. Their faith is shallow, and they give up quickly.

Three pastors go out for breakfast. One of them says “We have these bats in the church bell tower and I cannot get rid of them. I set off firecrackers, banged on pans, even fired off a shotgun. But they just wake up, fly around and come right back. I cannot get rid of those bats.” The second pastor says “We have bats in the church attic. I’ve gone up there and tried to hit them with a badminton racket, put up a net, tried to bait them with poison. Nothing I do seems to work. I cannot get rid of those bats.” The third pastor says “Oh we used to have a bunch of bats but we got rid of all of them.” The other pastors were shocked. “How did you do that?” they asked. “We just invited them to the revival, baptized all of them and we haven’t seen them since.”

There’s a third group of seed that lands on decent dirt, but dirt that also has too many weeds. Although the seed will start to grow, the weeds grow faster and block the sunlight. They also soak up most of the moisture in the soil, depriving the good seed of what it needs. The grain might survive this competition, but will be stunted.

Analogy Alert: So many people claim to be faithful believers, but allow everything else in their lives to overshadow and crowd out their relationship with God. Eg: They claim they can worship God while fishing. Please, stop embarrassing yourself.

I saw a statistic once that claimed that your child has a 0.0296% chance of becoming a professional athlete, and a 100% chance of standing before Jesus. This is not meant to demean sports. There’s a lot of benefits in sports. But we need to have our priorities straight and not allow the ordinary to crowd out the extraordinary.

There’s yet another batch of seed that lands on good soil. Open. Willing. Allows deep roots. Little competition from distractions. That seed grows and thrives and produces a huge crop.

Analogy alert: I really hope you’ve gotten the point by now.

When Jesus told stories with a moral, they were called Parables, he intended to teach us something.

In the Parable of the Sower [Matthew 13:1-23] the seed is God’s truth. It’s the same for everyone. Young, old. Male, female. All races and ethnic groups. The same.

We are the dirt. Don’t take it personally, remember it’s an analogy. We get to decide how receptive we will be when we are offered the truths of God.

God wants everyone to welcome him, but is realistic enough to know that some will not. Or they won’t go the distance. Or they allow any and every excuse to take priority and push him aside, while claiming they aren’t. They are all exercising their free will. God wouldn’t have it any other way.

But with those who fully allow him in, and strive for their fullest potential, he and his truth will blossom.

God loves us all. But he is proudest of those who allow him to grow in their hearts, and show that they truly belong to him.

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Dave Soucie lives, serves and writes in Indianapolis.

Copyright © 2022 by Dave Soucie.  All rights reserved [but permission is granted for non-commercial use only, with proper citation].

Avoiding The Reunion

Ryan unloaded the pressure washer from his truck. His brother Kyle needed to clean his deck before he stained it again, and Ryan offered to let him borrow it. Ryan had been wanting to talk with Kyle anyway, so this was a good excuse to go to Kyle’s house.

[BONUS: STAY TUNED FOR UPCOMING PLOT TWIST]

“Coffee?” Kyle asked as Ryan brought the pressure washer to the backyard. “Absolutely.” Ryan answered. As they sipped and caught up while sitting on the deck, Ryan didn’t know how to bring up what he wanted to talk about.

It was during the second cup that Kyle asked if Ryan wanted to join him on an upcoming weekend hunting trip.

Ryan shared a silent prayer. “Wow, thank you Lord.” After a deep breath he answered. “Actually, we’ll be at the reunion that Sunday. Sierra is making her cobbler again and you know how much dad loves her cobbler.”

[5000 EXTRA POINTS IF YOU DON’T SKIP TO THE END AND SPOIL THE SURPRISE]

Kyle was silent for a moment. “Her cobbler is always great.  Did dad send you over to talk me into coming this time?”

“No” Ryan answered. “He never said a word about that. He knows how you feel.”

After an awkward silence, which seem too long for Ryan, Kyle spoke up again.  “It’s just that we’ve got some oddballs in our family. I don’t like some of the disagreements some of them have. We don’t all have the same interests. I don’t have much in common with a lot of them. I’d just rather be doing something else.”

Ryan prayed for discernment and wisdom. “Dad’s always going to let you make your own decisions. And you’re right that some of them can be difficult. But every family has wrinkles. Nevertheless, they are the only family we have. I’d like to think that Sierra and I can be a good influence on those who are a problem. Most of the family are great, but there are a few who seem to be disruptive.”

[BONUS ARTICLE AT END, BE PATIENT]

Hearing the word “disruptive” made Kyle chuckle. “I wish Paige and I could be that generous. You remember how she got into it with Aunt Cindy.”

“Yeah” Ryan answered “That was …. interesting.  Unfortunately, Aunt Cindy feels a bit proud of herself. She thinks that since you guys quit coming, she won that debate.”

“What?” Kyle blurted out. “I guess that does sound like her. We had to hang out with the family when we were little but I don’t know if we want to put our kids through that. We’ll leave it up to them when they’re older. They can decide if they want to go.”

“But you make them brush their teeth, right?” Ryan said with a bit of a smirk

“Yeah, yeah” Kyle conceded. “I get it.”

[CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT FOR THOSE WHO ALREADY KNOW WHERE THIS IS HEADED]

After a minute pause, Ryan said “It’s occasionally stressful, but not often. It’s just that those events stand out, dominate our memories, and crowd out the appreciation of all the good stuff that happens. We need to be there for each other. They may or may not be helpful for you, Paige and your kids, but you could be very helpful for them.”

Kyle smiled “Unless Paige makes her cobbler again.”

Ryan burst out laughing, remembering what happened when Paige tried to compete with Sierra. “I’ll guess by now she knows the difference between baking powder and baking soda.”

“Yes. She. Does.” Kyle agreed nodding his head. Both brothers snickered for another moment.

“Gotta run” Ryan said as he got up, setting his coffee mug down. “Enjoy your hunting weekend. If you decide to postpone it a week to do something else, maybe we’ll see you then.”

“Maybe” Kyle agreed.

After Ryan left Kyle sat for a while, thinking about the family and the reunion. “Maybe” he repeated before getting up and heading inside.

[HERE IT IS; REREAD ARTICLE, REPLACING THE WORD “FAMILY” WITH “CHURCH”]

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Dave Soucie lives, serves and writes in Indianapolis.

Copyright © 2021 by Dave Soucie.  All rights reserved [but permission is granted for non-commercial use only, with proper citation].