Most People Don't Care... Enough

I had an interesting discussion with a good friend of mine yesterday. I've been pretty frustrated of late with the people of my country. People are starting to wake up to what is going on, but most still insist to keep their vulnerable asses in the air and their heads buried in the sand. My little experiment on Facebook in trying to warn family and friends proved fairly futile - I think after a time most just sent me to the back of the bus, not wanting to hear what I had to say anymore. That's fine. But don't say I didn't warn you.

I explained that the conclusion I came to - for the apparent ass-end-up-head-in-sand paradigm - is that most people just don't care. My friend challenged me on this conclusion, and I better explained my thoughts with this: Most people don't care enough to be challenged and know that what they believe is true.

People care. They just don't care enough to want to know if what they believe is right. This holds true across the political spectrum and across issues. Most people formulate their "world-view," whatever that is, and they cling to it blindly and plug their ears and say "na-na-na" when any challenging arguments or thoughts come their way.


Thomas Jefferson once said: "Question with boldness even the existence of God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear."


I, unlike most people, want to be challenged. I want someone to debate with me, because I want to be on the side of what is right and true. I used to be a "liberal democrat," indoctrinated into the leftist fold via the public school system and my parents' foundational belief that rich people took advantage of the poor - that making a profit was always a result of ripping people off - and thereby they should be punished. My father also worked for the government, so bigger government was a good thing to him.

For a long time I was safe and happy with my leftist world-view. When I entered college, I decided that I should find out what the other side was saying, such that I could counter their arguments. Know my enemy, I thought. So, I started watching Rush Limbaugh on television. And a funny thing happened - I started to realize that the other side was right.

The Left appealed to my emotions. The right appealed to my reason. And if given a chance, reason will win out every single time.

It's hard to come to the realization that everything you have believed to be true isn't - that you have been lied to, that you have been manipulated, that you have been scammed. Most people do not allow themselves to be vulnerable enough to allow their beliefs to be challenged by themselves and their own critical thoughts, much less the ideas and opinions of someone else. It is very safe and secure to believe you have everything figured out - that you are right and everyone else is wrong - that you are one of the few and the enlightened, or the chosen, or the saved, and everyone else is damned.

The same thing holds true for my religious beliefs. Growing up, I was raised a Christian, but really only on Sundays. Faith did not have much to do with my ordinary, everyday life. In college, I started to explore my faith more and more. After graduation and in striking out on my own, I committed myself more and more to the Christian Faith, devoting my time, money and talents as I was supposed to do. In taking the chance to live and work in another country, I devoted myself fully to my faith, finding a church that finally seemed to "get it," and really working to build "His Kingdom" here on earth. It was great - I felt I was doing something important and a part of something real. All those doubts and questions - am I doing God's Will, why am I struggling, is it me, do I pray enough, do I know enough, am I a good enough Christian, what is holding me back from being blessed by God, is it the church, is there a perfect church for me out there? - I finally found my place. And it was great. For awhile.

Well, circumstances in my life challenged my faith - challenged it right to its core. Once again, reason won out over emotion - reason won out over faith - and I am no longer a Christian. It was very difficult, and again I felt I was scammed, that I was lied to, that people used me for their own ends. It was infuriating, and fortunately I was able to climb out of that very dark place and be at peace with God.

Most people will definitely not allow their faith to be challenged. Their faith makes them feel secure, and safe, and gives them hope for a brighter day in the future. That's fine - I feel the same as well, but I base my feelings of security and safety and hope on reason - on beliefs that have been challenged - because I care enough about knowing what I believe to be right and true. I am confident in my right beliefs through reason - not faith in falsehoods.

Most people don't care enough. In fact, they care so much for the opposite - clinging to their world-views and religions - that they outright ignore or attempt to silence opposing views. These people are dangerous.

Please, people - care enough to allow yourselves to be challenged - seek it out. There is a Truth, and it matters. Don't believe the Lies.