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THE DANGER OF RIGID THOUGHT

Fanatical, rigid attitudes are very dangerous. People who are locked into a right/wrong, black/white mentality are at risk because the world isn't like that. Life requires compromise and tolerance. There are no pure bred goats or pure bred sheep. We're all mixed breeds (see Matt. 25:32).

When incongruities are evident; when unfair situations exist and especially when beliefs become incompatible with observation and experience, a state of great dissonance develops. This makes individuals so miserable that some adjustment is necessary. If they are unwilling to change their beliefs or adapt their outlook to fit reality, then compartmentalization occurs. This happens because when things don't fit, they must be separated and put into water-tight boxes. Religion becomes one box; work another box; family another box; recreation another box and so on. This is dangerous because it allows people to operate in certain areas without benefit of the moral principles that may be present in other areas. That's how the BTK criminal could be a "good Lutheran church member"; a responsible husband and father; an adequate employee and community leader, and still commit brutal murders.

That's how religious terrorists can be paradoxes of virtue within their religion and still commit atrocities on innocent people.

With complete compartmentalization, nothing seeps through the walls. Therefore the logic, social guidelines and compassion that may be present in one "box" can't influence the other "boxes."

These people no longer have integration or integrity, since each area operates by it's own rules and regulations.

This is a form of "split personality," but it's not defined as a psychotic illness because most of these individuals can still function. In fact, they may even be lauded as upright citizens and considered as ideal examples of their faith. Also, they may get along quite well in this state until a crises occurs or the dissonance becomes unbearable.

Eventually, however, compartmentalization destroys us. We must be "whole." Jesus emphasized this over and over again. Wholeness requires an integration of all areas of life. It's the basis for health and happiness and productivity. When our "beliefs" are at odds with "truth" or reality, it's our beliefs that must change. Fanatical, rigid people can't change and that leads to tragedy.
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This issue of NEW PERSPECTIVES is from an unpublished manuscript © copyrighted 2005 by Miles and Maralene Wesner, Idabel, OK. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO USE THEM IN ANY WAY YOU THINK IS APPROPRIATE. The only thing we ask is that you give credit for original material in PUBLISHED works.

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Miles E Wesner