Surprise - spoiler alert, there is no such thing as mental neutrality.
For years, I believed what I believed, because it was what I had been taught. I assumed that I grew up in a world of mental neutrality and that my beliefs were rock solid and basic, and should be normative for all people.
Slowly over the years, I realized that there were others that believed differently than I did, and that there was no reason to shame them for that. People believe in certain ways because we are not raised in a mental world of neutrality.
One believes Democrat ideas because they might have been raised in a Democrat home. Another believes Republican ideas because they might be raised in a Republican home. We all start somewhere.
And so I woke up to the notion that we did not just crawl out from under a rock in a neutral world. We are all the shape that we are because of many forces pressing around us all through the years. Our parents, our grandparents, our siblings, our friends and our teachers all helped to shape the environment from which we sprang.
There was nothing neutral about the world that we lived in. The really good news about this revelation is that now I can look at why I believe certain things and I can feel more comfortable to question those beliefs. I can even set them aside if I so choose. Just because my father believed it doesn’t mean that I have to. Just because my pastor in eighth grade taught it to me doesn’t mean that I have to believe it. I can actually look at the world and make my choices and choose my own beliefs.
To take a look at the rock bottom core of who I am and to believe what I believe - not because I was taught it, but because I looked at the options, and I made my choices. It’s a beautiful thing indeed, and it feels good.
It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
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I am leading a trip to Ireland October 15-24, 2024.
click here for the brochure
If you have questions, feel free to email me at jsbrink57@gmail.com
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