What causes so many religionists to have a vehemently, dichotomously black & whi

1. 84

   gmwilliamsposted 9 years ago

   What causes so many religionists to have a vehemently, dichotomously black & white
   
   attitude in terms of belief, morality, & outlook and anything beyond, outside, & different from their particular belief, morality, & outlook are considered abhorrently wrong?  Give analytical answers please.
   
   

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2. 89

   Austinstarposted 9 years ago

   Indoctrination causes this. The most vehement people have been so inundated with their church, their parents, their friends, their Sunday school lessons, their weekly sermons that they no longer think for themselves. They accept as "truth" whatever their family and friends believe.
   And since most of the religionists spend their entire days, weeks, nights, and lives judging others, it becomes a way of life. They are CONSTANTLY comparing their beliefs to today's society and judging the perceived and slanted presentations of the media to their inner "moral" compass which is so skewed that they have no idea what truth is anymore.
   They also live in constant fear that they might "get it wrong", so they are seeking reassurance from their "holy" books which are so lagging behind in societal norm that they can't possibly figure it out.
   The most belligerent and stubborn types of these people constantly copy/paste bible passages and tract literature that do not even pertain to the current discussion! They vehemently INSIST that society is wrong and they are right. Or they simply refuse to READ and understand what is being written by non-religious people.
   These people are in a narrow world and it is truly black and white only. They simply have no capacity for seeing reality.

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   1. 84

      gmwilliamsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Such thinking is classified as immature thinking.  These people are psychological immature in addition to being psychologically weak and insecure.  Mature, strong, and secure people don't think/believe in strict/ extreme dichotomies.

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   2. 89

      Austinstarposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      So, the basic question should be, How to we get these people to grow up and become psychologically mature?

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3. 84

   gmwilliamsposted 9 years ago

   
   
   Many religionists have a very narrow perspective as to what spirituality is.  They strongly contend that it is their way or it is wrong.  They maintain that their religious perspective and outlook are the only legitimate and acceptable one and that everyone else is wrong in their belief.  They also believe in extremes regarding religion and spirituality because they are afraid that if they explore or listen to other religious/spiritual perspective, they will probably question their own religious outlook.  The last aspect is what they fear the most.  They think in extremes because they are afraid of learning and growing by being open to other prospects so they shut down, remaining in their religious comfort zone so to speak.
   
   They also have a childish, immature approach to religion and spirituality.  It is all strict dichotomies to them.  It is either good or bad, right or wrong.  They see morality and religious matters in terms of extreme absolutes.  They cannot, do not, and most of all, will not see morality and religious matters in terms of relativity and situations.   Immature people are not capable of seeing things outside of strict dichotomies.  They have not psychologically progressed beyond the level that there are figurative, metaphorical, and proverbial shades of grey instead of the literal black and white ways they view things.   
   
   As a result of their dichotomous view of thinking and belief, they are highly disdainful of anyone who has a different and opposite belief system.  They cannot see that others have a legitimate right to have differing, even opposing beliefs.  To them, that is inconceivable.  They find it highly implausible for any right-thinking person to entertain a different/opposite belief system.  They further maintain that such people must be in error and wrong for how can the latter have such beliefs. They have a level of insecurity because they want others to have the same beliefs as they do which explains why they are oftentimes proselytizing and trying to convert others to their way of thinking.  If they were secure, they would live and let others live.

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