Dove World Outreach Center, a small local nondenominational Christian church located about two miles from my house, received some negative media publicity when its leaders decided to place roadside signs proclaiming that “Islam is of the devil”. The Gainesville Sun published stories, editorials, and letters to the editor decrying the prejudice implicit in this message. The church itself came under scrutiny for what some termed as cult-like practices. Also, it didn’t help that this church, protected by its religious status from paying taxes, was running an E-Bay-based furniture store out of one of its buildings. Finally, in last Thursday’s paper, it was announced that the church had placed a new sign out by the road: FOR SALE.
I don’t want to appear to be defending the folks running this rather insignificant church. I actually know the people running it, and I have no problem saying that they deserve some of the criticism that they are receiving (although I was unaware of the furniture store). The sign that sparked this major (local) controversy has, I believe, been a bit misinterpreted, though.
I have been in Sunday schools and informal “family” group meeting held by various conservative evangelical churches in the past, long before the 9/11 attacks. And I noticed some behaviors that may have more to do with universal human behavior than with one group’s particular prejudices.
People in general, I believe, have a tendency to huddle in groups that in turn tend to reflect their own most deeply (and sometimes most irrationally) held views about various topics. One can see a little of this on the Internet with the various blog circles and carnivals out there. I’ve said before and I’ll say it again that my blog has such a diversity of content and opinion (not necessarily making it better than others) that it would inevitably contain material that would automatically disqualify it from anyone else’s carnival. And that’s cool with me. But the huddling instinct has a much stronger effect in person when the involved people keep meeting together over and over again and keep saying the same things to each other over and over again. Famous skeptic Michael Shermer (one of my favorite people out there in the media) has called this a feedback loop (a phenomenon with many other scientific and engineering applications).
When something is said enough times, without objective contradicting input due to the group’s insulation, those within the feedback loop will reach a point when they accept it as unchallenged truth. In the conservative evangelistic Christian doctrine, ANY belief system that doesn’t explicitly recognize that belief in Jesus Christ is the ONLY way for a person to avoid eternal torment in hell after death is in some way or another “of the devil”. And what are the most influential non-Christian belief systems around? Islam and something called “secular humanism”. I’ve come to the conclusion that “secular humanism” is basically just western society with explict Christian religious doctrine removed, but those within conservative Christian feedback loops tend to regard it as a conspiratorial movement that is also “of the devil”. Also, any criticisms coming from the outside regarding the notions dearly held by the participants in such a feedback loop themselves are “of the devil” and only serve to bolster its members’ feeling of nobility (since, you see, that means they are being “persecuted”, a sign of an effective church).
So this “Islam is of the devil”, to me at least, reflects more the effects of people huddling together in their feedback loop, rejecting outside sources of objective input, adopting some outlandish ideas, and then suffering the criticisms levied on them when they come to light outside of the “huddle”.
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«And what are the most influential non-Christian belief systems around? Islam and something called “secular humanism”.»
ReplyDeleteWell, and Judaism. You could count Buddhism and Hinduism, too, though they're less prominent in the U.S.
No, Bill, I'm sorry: I don't buy it. They weren't huddling among their own and saying, "We're right, and everything else is of the devil." They singled out Islam.
And, you know, if they'd posted a sign saying, "Everyone else is of the devil," I'd consider that to be patently offensive as well. If that church were in my neighbourhood, I'd be pleased to see it go.
Judaism: You're right, I should have included Judaism. Although much of its influence comes through how the numerically-dominant Christian sects interpret and filter the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) through their doctrines, there is a strong influence through today's Jewish community.
ReplyDeleteIslam/devil sign: Your reaction is the normal, reasonable response that someone outside the "feedback loop" would take regarding motives of those at this church. But I think these particular people see the devil lurking everywhere, even in other Christian churches.
But they did, in putting up that sign, single out and scapegoat Islam without mentioning any of their other myriad hangups with the world. So to that extent I'm with you.
"They weren't huddling among their own and saying, "We're right, and everything else is of the devil."
Yes, Barry, that IS how people like this talk in these insulated loops. As hard as it may be to fathom that. I think that, were you to sit in on one of these groups, it would blow your mind!