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Wed, February 21, 2007

We Can’t Afford Doctrine

By Rich

I almost used the title, “we can’t afford religion”, but figured that might hit Digg a little too fast and piss a lot of people off.

But that’s kind of what I mean.

After my global warming post I got a personal email from one of you that I respect a lot. He doesn’t buy into it, but he’s also not adamantly opposed. As he put it, people tend to have a religious response on the issue, depending on what side they’re on.

Right now I tend to believe the consensus that there’s man is accelerating the natural warming of the earth. I haven’t always believed it, and if very clear evidence to the contrary appears my opinion could change. And hopefully you got the point of the original post- that I think even if it isn’t true (but I think it is) there is a huge potential economic upside if it is.

But not everyone thinks like that reader and myself, on this and many other issues.

A recent study performed functional MRI scans on people while discussing politics and religion. The result? The same emotional response.

Yes folks, blind faith even in politics- an area that seems to demand more logic than emotion (nah, I’m not naive enough to think that’s how it really works).

Religion relies on faith by nature, but science, politics, and even your daily decision to buy something or put on your seat-belt shouldn’t. There isn’t a single thing in this world that doesn’t change over time (Dick Clark and Keith Richards excepted), and any doctrinal beliefs are destined to eventually be wrong. To be honest, I think a lot of the problems we have in this world are due to rigid minds. Even every single major world religion undergoes constant interpretation and reinterpretation; that’s why the call it religious studies.

Doctrine limits free thought and options. It taints analysis of information and situations. It often even biases what information you’re willing to expose yourself to.

You can’t afford it. Analyze the data and make your own decisions. Don’t let some random doctrine or religious belief (not religion itself, you know what I mean) make your decisions for you. It doesn’t mean you don’t know right from wrong; it means you know how to think for yourself.

One Reply to “We Can’t Afford Doctrine”

ashimmy February 21, 2007 at 6:51 am

Rich- I couldn’‘t agree with you more. In my life I have seen my beliefs on important subjects swing like a pendulum back and forth. However, rather than doctrine, I think you are referring to Dogma.

dog·ma /ˈdɔgmə, ˈdɒg-/ Pronunciation Key – Show Spelled Pronunciation[dawg-muh, dog-] Pronunciation Key – Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun, plural -mas, -ma·ta
1.a system of principles or tenets, as of a church.
2.a specific tenet or doctrine authoritatively laid down, as by a church: the dogma of the Assumption.
3.prescribed doctrine: political dogma.
4.a settled or established opinion, belief, or principle.
[Origin: 1590–1600;

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