Post by Elliot Kane on Mar 22, 2009 12:57:19 GMT
Twin Worlds: A Guide To Religious & Secular Thinking
One of the main areas for misunderstanding that often arises between people is when the secular worldview clashes with the religious worldview. It is the goal of this article to help each to understand the other and thereby to hopefully assist in communications between the two.
The main cause of confusion arises from one single fact: despite any seeming similarity in thought processes, the religious and the secular mind each approach any given situation from fundamentally different starting points. To each, their own starting point is both obvious and reasonable and therefore unquestioned, so they confuse each other utterly.
Please note that for the purposes of this article it does not matter which religion a person holds, as the religious mindset does not vary.
The definition of religion for purposes of this article will be deemed to be: any belief system that incorporates one or more deities and has an associated lifestyle and a defined set of moral/ethical principles.
The Religious Mindset
To the religious person, the existence of their deity/ies is an incontrovertible fact. They see the divine in all things and they know that the hand of the divine lies in everything. They are convinced of the rightness of the lifestyle and principles their deity/ies has/have laid down and they know that breaking the rules of their religion is wrong - even though they may do it sometimes, themselves.
'My deity says' is their starting point in every single debate, every single decision, every single thought. Because the divine word is incontrovertible fact, all logic follows from it and anything that clashes with it is completely illogical and makes no sense.
Conversely, any thought or idea that conforms entirely with (Or better yet is actively based on) their religion is easy for them to understand and thus they find it hard to comprehend why secular thinkers often find their thoughts confusing or just do not see the logic.
The Secular Mindset
To a secular person, something only becomes incontrovertible fact if proven to be so by science or reason. They look for natural cause and effect in all things and see them in everything. They have no guiding principles or lifestyle that are not a part of the fabric of their society (or that they have worked out for themselves in extremely rare cases) and most will apply the values of that society where judgements involving matters of principle are required.
'Give me a cause I can understand' is their starting point in every single debate, every single decision, every single thought. Because it is incontrovertible fact that all things need a reason to be true, all logic follows from proven facts and anything that has no basis in science or reason is completely illogical and makes no sense.
Conversely, any idea that is based on science or reason is easy for them to understand and thus they find it hard to comprehend why religious thinkers often find their thoughts confusing or do not see the logic.
In Summation
There is nothing more frustrating for either side than trying to convince the other of the rightness of their viewpoint on many matters not because no agreement is possible but because neither side really understands that the other is not using the same rules of logic as they themselves. Saying 'God Says...' to a secular thinker is about as useful as saying 'Ignore God for A Moment...' to a religious thinker. Such an opening is not only completely contrary to the belief systems being challenged, but also incomprehensible to their worldview. They may be speaking the same language, technically, but the secular and the religious thinker are in actual fact divided by the very basis of their understanding.
The Art Of Communication
If you truly want to make your case to a thinker of the opposing school you must learn to meet them on their own ground. You have to accept that your own worldview is alien to them and that all arguments which ignore the basis of their understanding of the universe will fail.
It is no good quoting holy writ to a secular thinker as evidence, because it is no more holy to them than any other book you care to name. Ask yourself if you would quote some trashy bonkbuster as a way to support a major philosophical point and you will see how the secular thinker views your efforts to convince them with holy writ.
Conversely, telling a religious thinker to ignore the word of their deity is like someone asking you to forget all logic and reason and just believe that there is a bright pink rubber elephant standing right behind you. Ask yourself if you would unquestioningly believe that without even looking and you will see how the religious thinker views your efforts to convince them that the word of man trumps the word of god.
To convince a secular reader, show reason. To convince a religious thinker, show how what you are saying fits their beliefs.
It's not hard to see the other viewpoint, after all, once you know what you are looking at.
One of the main areas for misunderstanding that often arises between people is when the secular worldview clashes with the religious worldview. It is the goal of this article to help each to understand the other and thereby to hopefully assist in communications between the two.
The main cause of confusion arises from one single fact: despite any seeming similarity in thought processes, the religious and the secular mind each approach any given situation from fundamentally different starting points. To each, their own starting point is both obvious and reasonable and therefore unquestioned, so they confuse each other utterly.
Please note that for the purposes of this article it does not matter which religion a person holds, as the religious mindset does not vary.
The definition of religion for purposes of this article will be deemed to be: any belief system that incorporates one or more deities and has an associated lifestyle and a defined set of moral/ethical principles.
The Religious Mindset
To the religious person, the existence of their deity/ies is an incontrovertible fact. They see the divine in all things and they know that the hand of the divine lies in everything. They are convinced of the rightness of the lifestyle and principles their deity/ies has/have laid down and they know that breaking the rules of their religion is wrong - even though they may do it sometimes, themselves.
'My deity says' is their starting point in every single debate, every single decision, every single thought. Because the divine word is incontrovertible fact, all logic follows from it and anything that clashes with it is completely illogical and makes no sense.
Conversely, any thought or idea that conforms entirely with (Or better yet is actively based on) their religion is easy for them to understand and thus they find it hard to comprehend why secular thinkers often find their thoughts confusing or just do not see the logic.
The Secular Mindset
To a secular person, something only becomes incontrovertible fact if proven to be so by science or reason. They look for natural cause and effect in all things and see them in everything. They have no guiding principles or lifestyle that are not a part of the fabric of their society (or that they have worked out for themselves in extremely rare cases) and most will apply the values of that society where judgements involving matters of principle are required.
'Give me a cause I can understand' is their starting point in every single debate, every single decision, every single thought. Because it is incontrovertible fact that all things need a reason to be true, all logic follows from proven facts and anything that has no basis in science or reason is completely illogical and makes no sense.
Conversely, any idea that is based on science or reason is easy for them to understand and thus they find it hard to comprehend why religious thinkers often find their thoughts confusing or do not see the logic.
In Summation
There is nothing more frustrating for either side than trying to convince the other of the rightness of their viewpoint on many matters not because no agreement is possible but because neither side really understands that the other is not using the same rules of logic as they themselves. Saying 'God Says...' to a secular thinker is about as useful as saying 'Ignore God for A Moment...' to a religious thinker. Such an opening is not only completely contrary to the belief systems being challenged, but also incomprehensible to their worldview. They may be speaking the same language, technically, but the secular and the religious thinker are in actual fact divided by the very basis of their understanding.
The Art Of Communication
If you truly want to make your case to a thinker of the opposing school you must learn to meet them on their own ground. You have to accept that your own worldview is alien to them and that all arguments which ignore the basis of their understanding of the universe will fail.
It is no good quoting holy writ to a secular thinker as evidence, because it is no more holy to them than any other book you care to name. Ask yourself if you would quote some trashy bonkbuster as a way to support a major philosophical point and you will see how the secular thinker views your efforts to convince them with holy writ.
Conversely, telling a religious thinker to ignore the word of their deity is like someone asking you to forget all logic and reason and just believe that there is a bright pink rubber elephant standing right behind you. Ask yourself if you would unquestioningly believe that without even looking and you will see how the religious thinker views your efforts to convince them that the word of man trumps the word of god.
To convince a secular reader, show reason. To convince a religious thinker, show how what you are saying fits their beliefs.
It's not hard to see the other viewpoint, after all, once you know what you are looking at.
Thanks for the write-up, dude. 
.com
