Mark Dohle

Passage

December 4, 2009 |  5 comments
Image Credit: sxc.hu There is more than one way to look at the meaning of our existence and that outlook will of course, if lived out consciously, dictate how that life is lived. Our childhood will play some role in this, since parental beliefs in some form will be passed on; though, if they stick or not are always in question. Today there are many competing philosophies and religious beliefs seeking our attention. From the most fundamentalist strands of religious conviction, too many who think along the lines of the ‘new atheist’. Books stores have a plethora of literature waiting for those who seek a deeper understanding of their existence. This seeking is not felt with the same intensity by all, but for those in which that search is central there is plenty out there to glean.

It is interesting to watch different beliefs being debated. I know from watching my own reactions in the exchange, I will give more attention to the debater that is in more accord with my own belies than the one opposing. However there is one thing I have noticed in a good debate (which is rare); both sides use logic and use it well. In fact a good debater can switch sides and give a good argument from a perspective that he or she does believe. In High Schools across the country, debate clubs do this all the time and from some of the debates I have attended, they do it very well.

The whole ‘meaning of life thing’ has always been central to me and I guess I have spent most of my life just trying to understand what it is all about. The frame work I use is my own freely chosen path; that of a Christian and a Catholic, to figure that out. Others choose others ways to do this, some more consciously than others, some better than others. I am not sure how well I am doing at this, for the older I get the mystery only seems to get deeper, drawing me ever more intensely into the search. Perhaps the reason for this is my nihilistic bent; the irrational sense that below the floor that I am standing on, if ripped open will reveal absolute nothingness, into which all creation must one day disappear. This is something that has been with me since my childhood. I can remember being at my dad’s gas station situated in East St. Louis, looking over at a small bridge of some sort, that was dark underneath (at least it was at the time I saw it), and contemplating that was all there was, just a dark void underneath. To say it terrified me is an understatement.

I think one of the reasons I have remained a Catholic is due to the fact of my mother’s attitude towards my father’s faith. She would make some comment about the church and I would go and study about it and come back with a refutation. Then as we would discourse, she would come up with something else and again I would go and study the point and come back with an answer. It was fun and I guess it kept me in the faith of my childhood. However the study and search are still present, no one path can be exhausted, for as the roots deepen, the tree gets stronger and higher and the need to breathe freely only gets more vital. For I believe we are here for more reasons than just to pass on our DNA.

I have read a great deal, more when I was younger than now, but reading is still central to my life. In my early twenties I read Ayn Rand, Sartre, Camus and others; seeking to understand atheism and how it works. I was fascinated by those who did not believe and wanted to find out how they lived their lives and the meaning they gave it. After much reading I came to the conclusion that I am incapable of becoming an atheist. For even though existence can seem absurd much of the time with all of our scurrying about, the idea of God’s non-existence is even more absurd. I don’t fear becoming an atheist; it just makes no sense to me. I have a spiritual side to me that seeks relationship with something that will quench my thirst for the transcendent and my ongoing search for meaning. For me to become an atheist would mean that I would have to amputate a part of my soul in order to believe that way; it would be maladaptive to say the least for me. I know there are many who would disagree with me on this; which is fine.

I am not sure how logical or rational we are as a species, though we are all capable of logical and rational thought. However I do know we seek meaning for our lives and we all seek it uniquely. The mistake that is made over and over again, and I am not exempting myself from this by any means, is that there seems to be a compulsion to look down on those who believe differently. This has led to a great deal of suffering in the world. World views are more emotional than logical, but logic is brought to the fore to defend any and all world views. Which is the better view (?); well all we can do is to present what we believe and then let others decide. We can also learn to listen without becoming defensive, which I think is a form of fear. The world is getting very small and the conversation that is going on between people of different persuasions will only intensify. Showing lack of respect of other points of view is the most common of our human failings. To respect others is not a betrayal of ones beliefs, but in many cases the fruit of many paths. If a path does not lead there, then it is a waste of time, since the outcome eventually will lead to more violence. I suppose the ‘will to power’ is one of our greatest weaknesses.

I love God intensely, Christ Jesus is my focus. For me he is a revelation and the New Testament is a faith document worthy of my trust and belief. Many find this offensive and there are a great many books out there that try to convince me otherwise about my faith. Well there are also many tomes out there of great scholarship that back up what I believe. I do know however that the study of other religions will open up ones eyes to the work of God in the world. Jesus, who is God for me, is not a tribal deity. He is the revelation of the unfathomable mystery that is always working in the world from the beginning until now. So simplistic attitudes of separateness, is just another human attitude shared by most that have deeply held beliefs and are afraid to listen and learn from others. That should tell us something about what is at work when severe judgments’ are at work about others who think along different lines. Insults and put downs are used to keep an opponent off balance so that rational valid points don’t have to be listened to. I have been the recipient as well as the one who has used this tactic in debate. I always feel diminished when I do it, for it highlights my own tendency to arrogantly ascribe truth to myself, while looking down on someone of a different point of view. It does not have to be religious. I think politics is just as bad for debate, for like religion, it can bring out the worst in people.

Of course I doubt that we will evolve into a species that will actually be able to do that. For even in being tolerant, in listening, it is most likely done from a position of superiority, even if not consciously averted to. Or perhaps I am giving myself away here. The human tendency to grasp ‘truth’ as if it was some kind of private commodity that applies to everyone is very common, and the more rigidly any kind of belief is held the more of a problem it becomes. “What I believe now is the truth” is a lie that has caused many to go over into the realm of fanaticism. Doubt is an important part of life; it is to be embraced, for it pushes us to deeper study and understanding and leads to an affinity for fellow seekers after the truth.

Science for me is just another manifestation of the ‘Word’. I see no conflict between science and religion. For others this is not so, yet that is not based on logic, but emotion. Logic can be used to back the atheist beliefs just as it can be used for believers, so as far as debate goes, it is a checkmate. Which is as it should be, for I believe we are seekers, all of us, and the absolute answer to the ‘why”, will ever elude us. Truth is like the carrot placed before the donkey to keep it moving. The journey, the seeking, the doubt, the finding and the deepening are what keeps us alive and vibrant. Ideology is a dead end because they tend to be closed systems. Religion can become an ideology when it fights the truths shown us by science and in the end will only lose. Vibrant faith is open to truth no matter where it is found, faith is not in question, what is needed is courage to learn and grow and to let go of beliefs that belong to another age. For me scientism is no different than the more virulent forms of religious fundamentalisms, too narrow to be truly life sustaining.

Mark Dohle[!gad]There is more than one way to look at the meaning of our existence and that outlook will of course, if lived out consciously, dictate how that life is lived. Our childhood will play some role in this, since parental beliefs in some form will be passed on; though, if they stick or not are always in question. Today there are many competing philosophies and religious beliefs seeking our attention. From the most fundamentalist strands of religious conviction, too many who think along the lines of the ‘new atheist’. Books stores have a plethora of literature waiting for those who seek a deeper understanding of their existence. This seeking is not felt with the same intensity by all, but for those in which that search is central there is plenty out there to glean.

It is interesting to watch different beliefs being debated. I know from watching my own reactions in the exchange, I will give more attention to the debater that is in more accord with my own belies than the one opposing. However there is one thing I have noticed in a good debate (which is rare); both sides use logic and use it well. In fact a good debater can switch sides and give a good argument from a perspective that he or she does believe. In High Schools across the country, debate clubs do this all the time and from some of the debates I have attended, they do it very well.

The whole ‘meaning of life thing’ has always been central to me and I guess I have spent most of my life just trying to understand what it is all about. The frame work I use is my own freely chosen path; that of a Christian and a Catholic, to figure that out. Others choose others ways to do this, some more consciously than others, some better than others. I am not sure how well I am doing at this, for the older I get the mystery only seems to get deeper, drawing me ever more intensely into the search. Perhaps the reason for this is my nihilistic bent; the irrational sense that below the floor that I am standing on, if ripped open will reveal absolute nothingness, into which all creation must one day disappear. This is something that has been with me since my childhood. I can remember being at my dad’s gas station situated in East St. Louis, looking over at a small bridge of some sort, that was dark underneath (at least it was at the time I saw it), and contemplating that was all there was, just a dark void underneath. To say it terrified me is an understatement.

I think one of the reasons I have remained a Catholic is due to the fact of my mother’s attitude towards my father’s faith. She would make some comment about the church and I would go and study about it and come back with a refutation. Then as we would discourse, she would come up with something else and again I would go and study the point and come back with an answer. It was fun and I guess it kept me in the faith of my childhood. However the study and search are still present, no one path can be exhausted, for as the roots deepen, the tree gets stronger and higher and the need to breathe freely only gets more vital. For I believe we are here for more reasons than just to pass on our DNA.

I have read a great deal, more when I was younger than now, but reading is still central to my life. In my early twenties I read Ayn Rand, Sartre, Camus and others; seeking to understand atheism and how it works. I was fascinated by those who did not believe and wanted to find out how they lived their lives and the meaning they gave it. After much reading I came to the conclusion that I am incapable of becoming an atheist. For even though existence can seem absurd much of the time with all of our scurrying about, the idea of God’s non-existence is even more absurd. I don’t fear becoming an atheist; it just makes no sense to me. I have a spiritual side to me that seeks relationship with something that will quench my thirst for the transcendent and my ongoing search for meaning. For me to become an atheist would mean that I would have to amputate a part of my soul in order to believe that way; it would be maladaptive to say the least for me. I know there are many who would disagree with me on this; which is fine.

I am not sure how logical or rational we are as a species, though we are all capable of logical and rational thought. However I do know we seek meaning for our lives and we all seek it uniquely. The mistake that is made over and over again, and I am not exempting myself from this by any means, is that there seems to be a compulsion to look down on those who believe differently. This has led to a great deal of suffering in the world. World views are more emotional than logical, but logic is brought to the fore to defend any and all world views. Which is the better view (?); well all we can do is to present what we believe and then let others decide. We can also learn to listen without becoming defensive, which I think is a form of fear. The world is getting very small and the conversation that is going on between people of different persuasions will only intensify. Showing lack of respect of other points of view is the most common of our human failings. To respect others is not a betrayal of ones beliefs, but in many cases the fruit of many paths. If a path does not lead there, then it is a waste of time, since the outcome eventually will lead to more violence. I suppose the ‘will to power’ is one of our greatest weaknesses.

I love God intensely, Christ Jesus is my focus. For me he is a revelation and the New Testament is a faith document worthy of my trust and belief. Many find this offensive and there are a great many books out there that try to convince me otherwise about my faith. Well there are also many tomes out there of great scholarship that back up what I believe. I do know however that the study of other religions will open up ones eyes to the work of God in the world. Jesus, who is God for me, is not a tribal deity. He is the revelation of the unfathomable mystery that is always working in the world from the beginning until now. So simplistic attitudes of separateness, is just another human attitude shared by most that have deeply held beliefs and are afraid to listen and learn from others. That should tell us something about what is at work when severe judgments’ are at work about others who think along different lines. Insults and put downs are used to keep an opponent off balance so that rational valid points don’t have to be listened to. I have been the recipient as well as the one who has used this tactic in debate. I always feel diminished when I do it, for it highlights my own tendency to arrogantly ascribe truth to myself, while looking down on someone of a different point of view. It does not have to be religious. I think politics is just as bad for debate, for like religion, it can bring out the worst in people.

Of course I doubt that we will evolve into a species that will actually be able to do that. For even in being tolerant, in listening, it is most likely done from a position of superiority, even if not consciously averted to. Or perhaps I am giving myself away here. The human tendency to grasp ‘truth’ as if it was some kind of private commodity that applies to everyone is very common, and the more rigidly any kind of belief is held the more of a problem it becomes. “What I believe now is the truth” is a lie that has caused many to go over into the realm of fanaticism. Doubt is an important part of life; it is to be embraced, for it pushes us to deeper study and understanding and leads to an affinity for fellow seekers after the truth.

Science for me is just another manifestation of the ‘Word’. I see no conflict between science and religion. For others this is not so, yet that is not based on logic, but emotion. Logic can be used to back the atheist beliefs just as it can be used for believers, so as far as debate goes, it is a checkmate. Which is as it should be, for I believe we are seekers, all of us, and the absolute answer to the ‘why”, will ever elude us. Truth is like the carrot placed before the donkey to keep it moving. The journey, the seeking, the doubt, the finding and the deepening are what keeps us alive and vibrant. Ideology is a dead end because they tend to be closed systems. Religion can become an ideology when it fights the truths shown us by science and in the end will only lose. Vibrant faith is open to truth no matter where it is found, faith is not in question, what is needed is courage to learn and grow and to let go of beliefs that belong to another age. For me scientism is no different than the more virulent forms of religious fundamentalisms, too narrow to be truly life sustaining.

Mark Dohle Comments (5)

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