cognitive Dissonance
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Cognitive dissonance is a state of internal conflict that can occur when a person's beliefs or behaviors are inconsistent with their faith. In the Christian faith, this can manifest in a number of ways, including:
Reconciling God's omnibenevolence and omnipotence with the existence of evil Christians may struggle to reconcile the belief that God is both all-powerful and all-loving with the suffering and evil in the world. The nature of God's intervention Christians may experience cognitive dissonance when considering why God doesn't intervene to prevent evil more often, or why God sometimes intervenes but not others. The Bible Some say that the Bible contains many passages that can lead to cognitive dissonance. To read the Bible properly, they recommend being humble and prayerful, and guarding against misunderstanding. Religious cults Cognitive dissonance theory can explain why religious cults may adjust their beliefs when Jesus doesn't return on the expected date. |
Psychology Today: The theory of cognitive dissonance proposes that people are averse to inconsistencies within their own minds. It offers one explanation for why people sometimes make an effort to adjust their thinking when their own thoughts, words, or behaviors seem to clash with each other. When one learns new information that challenges a deeply held belief, for example, or acts in a way that seems to undercut a favorable self-image, that person may feel motivated to somehow resolve the negative feeling that results—to restore cognitive consonance. Though a person may not always resolve cognitive dissonance, the response to it may range from ignoring the source of it to changing one’s beliefs or behavior to eliminate the conflict. What is cognitive dissonance? When someone tells a lie and feels uncomfortable about it because he fundamentally sees himself as an honest person, he may be experiencing cognitive dissonance. That is, there is mental discord related to a contradiction between one thought (in this case, knowing he did something wrong) and another (thinking that he is honest). |
Wrestle with it, and hold on until you get your blessing (Gen 32:24-28).
Asserting that God exists when, in fact, one knows that there is no actual, tangible, real, scientifically-verifiable evidence to support this assertion will cause cognitive dissonance. A Christian can hold to their belief based on their personal experience, but it will always seem like cognitive dissonance to anyone who does not have such a relationship. Nothing empirical beng available they would have to trust your word, but rarely, if ever, do.
Cognitive dissonance can also occur if one believes that an all-powerful, all-knowing, and benevolent entity is running the universe and yet witnesses things that are violent, cruel, or evil (for want of a better term). How does one reconcile what one believes with what one observes? One can either abandon the idea of God (which will seemingly leave one alone in an indifferent, purposeless, harsh, and pointless existence), or one can simply decide to believe anyway (which will force one to abandon the mind’s normal inclination to define reality as that which is based on solid empirical evidence). More people will abandon the idea rather than embrace it, or even try and seek it. That's not a benchmark for not believing in God ...it's just a choice.
Cognitive dissonance is actually very helpful. It is the mind telling itself that things just don’t make sense. One then has the choice to attempt to intelligently reconcile the two or dismiss it.
The non-religious or the unbeliever will believe that all religious beliefs - from cargo cults to Mormonism and Scientology - depend upon some form of cognitive dissonance for their survival. Because, how else can a religious person maintain his/her faith in the face of so much daily evidence that, logically, should refute their beliefs completely? They believe the inevitability of death and eternal non-sentient oblivion is confronting for everyone; hence, most religions seek to address this by offering their followers the glorious prospect of an ‘after-life’, despite the fact that no credible evidence whatsoever exists to support it. At face value that makes sense. To those touched by the Spirit of God know different. There is no guesswork as to His existence. That does not mean a believer will not be presented with conflicting realities..because they will, most assuredly, but it comes down to this with each challenge: Choose life or death? "I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life—so that you and your children after you will live (Deut 30:19). The skeptic or unbeliever will believe it is hugely comforting to believe in an after-life although there is no evidence of it and so herein lies the intrinsic power of religious belief. (ie, personal comfort).
Trump won the election but cognitive dissonance won the Republican Party. Evangelicals who wrapped themselves in cognitive dissonance essentially held their nose and voted for Trump.
CD: Protestants who say we must do "this" or "that" in order to be saved.
For example, Protestants believe we are saved by faith alone, yet some say that we also need to be baptized or must live a completely new life of holiness in order to be saved.
Christians: "Freedom of religion is paramount and should always be strongly protected by law." Also Christians: "Those Satanists exercising their freedom of religion is wrong. We shouldn't have freedom of religion as it is a bad thing." Also Christians right after: "As I was saying, religious freedom is super important and needs extra protections under the law."
Cognitive dissonance can also occur if one believes that an all-powerful, all-knowing, and benevolent entity is running the universe and yet witnesses things that are violent, cruel, or evil (for want of a better term). How does one reconcile what one believes with what one observes? One can either abandon the idea of God (which will seemingly leave one alone in an indifferent, purposeless, harsh, and pointless existence), or one can simply decide to believe anyway (which will force one to abandon the mind’s normal inclination to define reality as that which is based on solid empirical evidence). More people will abandon the idea rather than embrace it, or even try and seek it. That's not a benchmark for not believing in God ...it's just a choice.
Cognitive dissonance is actually very helpful. It is the mind telling itself that things just don’t make sense. One then has the choice to attempt to intelligently reconcile the two or dismiss it.
The non-religious or the unbeliever will believe that all religious beliefs - from cargo cults to Mormonism and Scientology - depend upon some form of cognitive dissonance for their survival. Because, how else can a religious person maintain his/her faith in the face of so much daily evidence that, logically, should refute their beliefs completely? They believe the inevitability of death and eternal non-sentient oblivion is confronting for everyone; hence, most religions seek to address this by offering their followers the glorious prospect of an ‘after-life’, despite the fact that no credible evidence whatsoever exists to support it. At face value that makes sense. To those touched by the Spirit of God know different. There is no guesswork as to His existence. That does not mean a believer will not be presented with conflicting realities..because they will, most assuredly, but it comes down to this with each challenge: Choose life or death? "I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life—so that you and your children after you will live (Deut 30:19). The skeptic or unbeliever will believe it is hugely comforting to believe in an after-life although there is no evidence of it and so herein lies the intrinsic power of religious belief. (ie, personal comfort).
Trump won the election but cognitive dissonance won the Republican Party. Evangelicals who wrapped themselves in cognitive dissonance essentially held their nose and voted for Trump.
CD: Protestants who say we must do "this" or "that" in order to be saved.
For example, Protestants believe we are saved by faith alone, yet some say that we also need to be baptized or must live a completely new life of holiness in order to be saved.
Christians: "Freedom of religion is paramount and should always be strongly protected by law." Also Christians: "Those Satanists exercising their freedom of religion is wrong. We shouldn't have freedom of religion as it is a bad thing." Also Christians right after: "As I was saying, religious freedom is super important and needs extra protections under the law."
What They Say / What They Mean
- "There's nothing you must do to be saved.." / "Here's what you must do to be saved:"
- "You are absolutely, totally helpless to save yourself." / "You must make a wise decision in order to be saved."
- "God controls all things." / "God doesn't control man's free will."
- "We can't boast about going to heaven." / "If we go to hell, it's our own fault."
- "Love never fails!" / "Love can't overcome human stubborness."
- "Men are in bondage to sin." / "Men are free to choose Christ."
- "Grace is unmerited favor..." / "... given only to those who merit it with faith and obedience."
- "GOD IS THE SAVIOR OF ALL MANKIND (1 Tim. 4:10)..." / "... except for about ninety percent of them."
- "GOD'S LOVE IN UNCONDITIONAL..." / "... as long as you meet certain conditions."
- "GOD'S WILL IS UNOPPOSABLE..." / "... except by the sinner."
- "Salvation is not a thing of chance." / "There is no second chance to be saved."
- "WE HAVE GOOD NEWS FOR YOU !" / "Most of mankind will perish forever."
- "GOD LOVES YOU !" / "... as long as you love Him."
- "Christ died for all sin..." / "... except the sin of not believing that He died for all sin."
- "The Good Shepherd seeks the lost sheep until he finds it!" / "The Good Shepherd seeks until it's too late."
- "God's justice was satisfied in the cross of Christ." / "God's justice demands eternal torment or annihilation.
Christianity has, in recent years, replaced it self in pursuit of science and history. They seek answers in science (Ken Ham) and history (David Barton) as proof that Christianity is real....not realizing that believing science and history does not create Christians.
Proverbs 3:5 KJV — Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
The words in bold are the keywords to understanding. Lean not unto our own human understanding. If you read the whole chapter in context, you will learn that true wisdom and understanding come from the Lord.
And that's precisely why we don't lean on our own understanding.
Proverbs 2:6 KJV — For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
The words in bold are the keywords to understanding. Lean not unto our own human understanding. If you read the whole chapter in context, you will learn that true wisdom and understanding come from the Lord.
And that's precisely why we don't lean on our own understanding.
Proverbs 2:6 KJV — For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.