I composed this post with two white "conservative" "Christians" in mind.
Whatever they think they "know," here is a core truth we actually know.
By definition, religious belief is religious belief.
And belief does not -- indeed can not -- cross over into "knowledge" no matter how fervently devotees proclaim the reality of this transition.
By its nature, "belief is belief."
Conviction is conviction.
Faith is faith.
Neither "belief" nor "conviction" nor "faith" are demonstrably true.
Knowledge is a very limited phenomenon, mostly associated with consensus understandings of reality - such as "sugar is sweet," "water is wet," or "the nightly news is broadcast at 6:30 p.m."
There are also the factual findings of carefully devised scientific experiment which arrives knowledgeable conclusions.
In a remarkable twist of fate, I am struck that so many fundamentalist believers -- i.e., those who refer to sacred scripture and say "God said it. I believe it. That settles it" -- fall prey to a Stockholm Syndrome vision of God in much the same way that Trump's "Christian" supporters have fallen prey The Donald's Q-endorsed nonsense. . https://www.britannica.com/science/Stockholm-syndrome
Whichever "authority figure" keeps them Stockholm Syndrome hostages -- be it a vision of God or a vision of thier inerrant political hero -- they mistake the person or the "god" who have taken them hostage. . https://www.britannica.com/science/Stockholm-syndrome
In order to placate their human and divine hostage takers, these Christian and political believers proclaim that their hostage takers are the origin of their "one, true, holy and apostolic" conviction that they always know the will of God, even though we know that any such conviction never amounts to absolute, provable knowledge.
Conviction, faith and belief may well apply, but absolute knowledge as it relates to "ultimate questions of life, death and the human spirit" is just not achievable. Yes, the urge to assert "knowledge" is often irresistible, but what actually happens when we introduce a bible passage like "Love your enemies. Do good to those who persecute you." Where is absolute knowledge -- and uniformity of interpretation --when it comes to Christian conservatives' interpretation of this passage or many other passages? https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A43-48&version=MSG
Consider this supposedly inerrant passage from the Old Testament.
Compendium: Christian Conservatism, Biblical Literalism And The Unique Hatred Of Yahweh's Command That ALL Men In Any Town Where Rebellious Children Live, MUST Stone Them To Death
During my decade-long residence in the San Francisco Bay Area, I knew a plaintalking, "reasonable" paraplegic who -- years before -- was ABSLUTELY certain he could fly.
And so Doug drove off the upper deck of The Bay Bridge between Oakland/Berkeley and San Francisco. But as soon as he jumped off, the wind blew him back onto the lower deck of the bridge, with consequent impact that broke his back and snapped his spinal cord.
Fly?
Now, Doug cannot even walk.
I think it likely that my friend was even more convinced (than hardcore Trump cultists) that he KNEW THE TRUTH.
And yet...
There is very little -- if any -- daylight between Trump cultists and garden variety cult followers of Jim Jones, a madman who induced over 900 "true believers" to kill themselves in their Guyana jungle compound by -- literally -- "drinking the kool-aid."
And they drank the poison-laced kool-aid even though Jones had become increasingly erratic, and (in the view of nearly observer), had gone manifestly insane.
And so it is with Trump's unfolding erraticism-and-rage now manifesting in his rally speeches and Truth Social posts. https://www.britannica.com/event/Jonestown
No amount of belief that an individual is, in fact, imbued with Absulute Truth makes it so.
And the harder one tries to convince themselves, the crazier they get.
Thomas Merton And Anne McCaffrey Describe The Fatal Flaw Of "Conservative" "Christians" (... Who Are Neither)
Karen and David,You pass continual judgment, and -- like the cruel man you follow -- you have no compassion.I conjecture that you -- like other conservative Christians -- believe that God created a world in which "most people go to Hell," and so, you believe you are righteous by making yourselves into your god's "smiting angels."
I firmly believe (and can eloquently argue) that what you are doing is remaking yourselves in the image of a vengeful, often unloving, and singularly punitive - even sadistic - god.
Compendium: Christian Conservatism, Biblical Literalism And The Unique Hatred Of Yahweh's Command That ALL Men In Any Town Where Rebellious Children Live, MUST Stone Them To Death
Alan Archibald
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Obama’s 2006 Speech on Faith and Politics: Abraham Prepares To Kill And Immolate His Son Because God Told Him To Slit His Throat And Burn His Body
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Alan Archibald
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