For the hell of it
By: Jesse Wilson
Tags: Religion, Self Improvement, Self, Philisophy, Life

This morning as an experiment I decided to engage with two religious devotees who decided to knock on my front door.

They wanted to share with me “The word of the Lord” and explain the importance of seeking guidance and answers from scriptures in the Bible.

Meanwhile, in the background, I could hear my wife and youngest son tut with bemusement. They were getting ready to go out and I was standing in the way at the front door engaged in a theological conversation I did not need to have.

The thing was I knew this but I was intrigued to hear what they had to say. I think it was the same for them and perhaps made for a pleasant change from the abuse I imagine they sometimes face.

The devotees started by respectfully asking if I believe in God. To which I answered, “Well I believe in something far higher, greater and more powerful than me. But in terms of shape and form and what you call that, I remain open. For me, it is something personal and evolving.”

I was later asked if I was ever actively religious. To which I explained, “Yes I was brought up in a religious household. But have some challenges and questions with following certain interpretations of the bible.” This led to further conversations about observer/ experimenter and cognitive bias. To which one of the devotees eloquently said, “Seek and you shall find.”

For the record, I have no problem with individual and personal beliefs, I welcomed the conversation. At one point we all agreed on the one universal truth present in all religions and secular thinking. We should live our lives with human kindness and compassion irrespective of what you believe.

What I am not so sure about for want of a better way to describe it, is religious activism. Is there a need to actively pursue your belief and knock uninvited on a person’s front door?

I think the answer to this question is not so straight forward, it depends on perspective. I know I have a choice on whether I answer the front door and to what extent I engage, but this was the second visit within the space of a week from possibly the same group.

Perhaps there is a hidden sign on my door!

Call it a coincidence or maybe I truly am in need of redemption. I know I am not perfect but the whole episode did get me thinking about a person’s strength of conviction. Where does that truly come from? Is it from a reluctance to remain open-minded, is it purely from courage or a combination of both?

As with most things it depends on the context, there are always multiple sides to any situation. On a positive side, a person strength of conviction can be seen as an admirable trait, it defines who you are. Especially when it is a personal cost and you have the courage to stand in the face of danger, difficulty or pain. Throughout history and our present day, there are many perfect examples of where people have stood and are remembered for what they believe in.

Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Muhammad Ali, Joan of arc, Malala Yousafza, Emmeline Pankhurst, Nelson Mandela

Don’t get me wrong there is no danger, difficulty and pain to be experienced at my front door, but I can see why when I think about conviction. The religious devotees felt compelled to pursue and stand up for what they believe.

On the negative side when I think about conviction. It makes me question if we make up our minds and no longer remain open to new thoughts and ideas. Does this not become dangerous? Can our convictions blind us? I would say absolutely yes, it is always a possibility. This is made evident in today's climate when we witness abhorrent acts of violence and persecution because of negative closed thinking.

The problem with not looking beyond our conviction cuts both ways. Often because the outcome is positive for our families, communities and society, we tend not to think much more. But we all know we live in a world where there are many more questions than the answers we have.

Yes, there are some universal irrefutable truths which we may or may not choose to subscribe to. My advice irrespective of your beliefs would be to always remain open as fundamentally. We don’t know what we don’t know.

In the end, my religious devotees and I had a healthy and respectful conversation about opinions and beliefs and managed to keep our dignities intact.

After they had gone and my wife and son managed to squeeze past the open front door. I was left with the thought that I should continue educating myself, perhaps I will revisit Dantes allegory — The journey of the soul.