Take a few moments to consider the state of discourse in western society today. Let’s focus on America to make it a little easier to grasp. And then let’s focus specifically on conversations and discussions pertaining to religion and politics. Now, ask yourself:
What is one of the most common features of such discourse when it comes to religion and politics?
Answer: Scorn
What is scorn?
According to Merriam-Webster, scorn is an “open dislike and disrespect or mockery often mixed with indignation” and/or “an expression of contempt or derision.” BibleStudyTools.com adds that the state being scornful “includes a sense of superiority, resentment, and aversion.”
Nineteenth-century philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer described contempt as “the unsullied conviction of the worthlessness of another.”
Make no mistake… Scorn is not a good thing.
And yet, that is how Americans see one another. It’s how many (most?) people feel about those who are on the other “side” of matters or issues they deeply care about — women’s rights, racial justice, trans issues, same-sex marriage, abortion, COVID, immigration, election disputes, voting rights and access, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and more.
Too many Americans today hate those they see on the other “side” of important issues OR those they see aligned with opposing ideological communities or tribes. What’s more, too many Americans are more apt to condemn, cancel, or disparage those on the other “side” (or those who get too close to the other side).
There is an ancient passage, found in the biblical book of Proverbs, that personifies wisdom as a woman crying out to the masses:
Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
Proverbs 1:20-22, KJV
I’d like to call your attention to the statement: “the scorners delight in their scorning.”
Please note that these “scorners” are associated with “simple ones” and “fools.”
And yet, in spite of this…
Our society’s conversations about religion and politics are poisoned by scorn.
And those who engage in scorn — which is most commentators, pundits, activists, and everyday amateur opinion-givers — delight in their scorning. The most scathing mockery often draws the most news coverage or social media likes — and can catapult the scorner to celebrity status (at least on the Internet and at least temporarily).
Why has scorn become so common?
Social media is one reason. In a highly informative article for The Atlantic, Jonathan Haidt explains:
Historically, civilizations have relied on shared blood, gods, and enemies to counteract the tendency to split apart as they grow. But what is it that holds together large and diverse secular democracies such as the United States and India, or, for that matter, modern Britain and France? Social scientists have identified at least three major forces that collectively bind together successful democracies: social capital (extensive social networks with high levels of trust), strong institutions, and shared stories. Social media has weakened all three. To see how, we must understand how social media changed over time—and especially in the several years following 2009.
Haidt, Jonathan. “Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid.” The Atlantic (April 11, 2022)
Please note that Haidt’s reference to “gods” should not be construed (by my readers) as an endorsement (on his part – and certainly not on my part) for polytheism. He is simply pointing out that, dating back to ancient times, religion has been one way that civilizations have united their people. As a side note, I should also point out that Christianity threatened the unifying nature of polytheism in the Graeco-Roman world, which is why many early Christians faced persecution.
The main point of the above quote (and I encourage you to read all of Haidt’s article) is that social media has fragmented us and undermined all the things that once united our country.
The news media is another cause for the rampant division and scorn in our society.
Matt Taibbi, an author and journalist, explains how the media has increasingly moved away from any pretense of objectivity in the 21st century. Instead, the “news” has become a product sold to niche audiences and peddled for more and more profit. He writes:
Whereas once the task was to report the facts as honestly as we could—down the middle of the “fairway” of acceptable thought, of course—the new task was mostly about making sure your viewer came back the next day. We sold anger, and we did it mainly by feeding audiences what they wanted to hear. Mostly, this involved cranking out stories about people our viewers loved to hate.
Taibbi, Matt. Hate Inc.: Why Today’s Media Makes Us Despise One Another
But King Solomon would say the main reason is we have too many fools hijacking and dominating conversations in our society.
We thrive on contempt and mockery. As one observer explains:
America is addicted to political contempt. While most of us hate what it is doing to our country and worry about how contempt coarsens our culture over the long term, many of us still compulsively consume the ideological equivalent of meth from elected officials, academics, entertainers, and some of the news media.
Brooks, Arthur C. Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America From The Culture of Contempt
False motive attribution is just one example of how foolishness pervades and drives much of today’s division. Too often, we assume we know the reasons and motivations of why others think or feel a certain way about a given issue.
One way this plays out is what social scientists call “motive attribution asymmetry,” which basically refers to the tendency of groups of people to regard their rivals or adversaries as being motivated by emotions opposite their own.
For example, let’s say you’re deeply troubled by the recent mass shootings in America, especially in our schools. (And every conscientious American should be troubled by these shootings). You’ve studied the matter and have settled on some policy changes you believe will solve the problem, but…
Others oppose you. They disagree. And many of them disagree strongly.
Motive attribution asymmetry would lead you to conclude that those who disagree with you either don’t care about the victims and their families – that they are heartless in the face of these horrific tragedies. Or worse! That perhaps they revel in the violence.
That’s motive attribution asymmetry.
The danger should be obvious. It automatically (and often unnecessarily and incorrectly) transforms a disagreement into a deep divide over values and justice. The person who disagrees with you isn’t merely wrong. The person is a monstrous, heartless villain. As Arthur Brooks explains:
Motive attribution asymmetry doesn’t lead to anger, because it doesn’t make you want to repair the relationship. Believing your foe is motivated by hate leads to something far worse: contempt.
Ibid
I’ve seen this in church. In my experience as a pastor, many conflicts between church members and families come down to the false attribution of motives.
King Solomon would say that, before you assign a motive to the person you disagree with (or who perhaps hurt or offended you), you should strive to understand where that person is coming from. Here is one of my favorite Solomon sayings:
“He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him” (Proverbs 18:13, KJV).
Make sure you hear (and understand) a matter before you answer (or respond) to it. And before you emotionally react to it!
It may be, for example, that the person who disagrees with you on policy solutions for mass shootings feels the same way you do about the horror it is visiting on society. That person may be just as motivated to end such violence, but may simply have a different way of going about it.
In a democratic society, all voices must be welcomed to the table.
Indeed, in the book of Proverbs, we’re told (three times) that there is “safety in the multitude of counselors.”
Granted, Solomon is talking about wise counsel and not simply opinions, but you won’t have a multitude of counselors — wise or not — if you silence and condemn anyone who dares to disagree with you. We must not see ourselves as the standard for right and truth. That standard is God.
Our nation faces serious problems, and it will take lots of humility, patience, hard work, knowledge, wisdom, creativity, and mental discipline to come up with workable solutions.
We need to work together!
But…
That’s NOT where most Americans are today.
We are impatient and impulsive. And we are increasingly volatile.
We don’t reflect. We react.
And, in doing so, we often make matters much worse.
Of course, we can’t fix everyone else. We can only work on ourselves.
Therefore, we must reflect on the question from Wisdom (personified) in Proverbs:
“How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity?” (Proverbs 1:22a, KJV)
To turn away from scorning and foolishness requires that we let go of simplicity. And that means we must strive for patience, humility, and discipline — qualities we all very much need more of.
And there’s one more quality we need.
That quality is Love.
Love is the opposite of scorn.
To love someone means we do NOT hold him or her in contempt or derision. It means we want the best for that person.
This is why Jesus commands us to love our neighor and love our enemies.
The more we humble ourselves, love God, and love others, the better off we will be.
