Every living being to some
degree is biased in one way or another. Whether it is a preference of a type
of food, an inclination towards certain subjects/ideologies, or a desire
towards certain conditions, no one is completely free from prejudice.
Depending on the issue at
hand, being biased does not necessarily translate to being wrong. No one can
justly condemn me for choosing fantasy genres over romance, just as I have no
right to criticise a person for preferring social games against single player
ones.
However, when we become too
partial to our inclinations, we are in danger of closing ourselves to new
ideas, thus limiting our horizons. It may not be extremely grave in some
matters, but in our spiritual journey, when we put our interests and
self-biased beliefs first, we will fail to recognise God’s glory and mercy to
us and to those around us.
Take a look at attitudes of the
Sadducees in Acts 4:1-22. Disgruntled at the
Apostles for preaching a concept contrary to their beliefs, they had them
arrested and questioned before the Sanhedrin. Even with sound evidence, they
not only refused to accept it, but also attempted sweep the incident under the
rug with warnings and threats, closing their eyes to the miracle performed.
There are times when I reflect
upon myself, I see a person inflated by his knowledge and intellect, even when
both these are severely lacking. Because of this, I often fail – or even refuse
– to consider perspectives past my own skewed view.
With this in mind, I thought
it prudent to evaluate my beliefs through this lens. My self-biasness stems
from the knowledge and experience I gained throughout my (relatively short)
life. Is the above not the same then, concerning my stance in Catholicism, Christianity
and God Himself?
Short answer: Yes, but with
reason.
To start: Am I self-biased in
my belief in God? Yes. A large part is likely due to my family (even if they
are non-practising Christians) and the environment I was brought up in. As a
child I took whatever my family and Church said as true, and later in life I
found answers that satisfied my questions pertaining the issue. Thus I never
truly had a crisis where I doubted the existence of a benevolent omnipotent
being governing the universe.
Am I self-biased in my belief
in Christianity? Yes. Other than the reasons mentioned above, I find the love
and mercy shown by the Christian God extremely appealing. Is there any other god(s)
willing to die for his/her creation, comparable to an insignificant speck of
dust in the vast universe? No other deity shows such overwhelming love for
his/her creation as far as I know.
Am I self-biased in my belief in
Catholicism? Yes, in addition to all the aforementioned, I find the arguments for
the Catholic Church exceptionally convincing. But, as with everyone who
testifies to have found their true calling in life, personal experience comes
at the forefront (hint). These experiences can
only be fully witnessed and testified by myself alone.
But is this not the same with
the Sadducees in Acts 4? Were they not also
committed to their beliefs and practices, inspired by their knowledge and
experiences? Was not the Church similar as well, when it refused to consider/acknowledge
certain scientific theories/truths?
While I cannot in full
confidence speak for the people back then, I must ask myself: are all these
self-biased beliefs govern by self-interest? Am I ultimately doing all this for
myself? One thing for certain: that was what the Pharisees and teachers of the
Law were condemned for (Luke 11:37-52).
My answer: yes and no. Yes, in
that I am searching for love, fulfilment, success, comfort and at the end avoid
the fires of Hell. Yet I also do this because I want to, just as one would go
through much for his/her beloved, nevermind the inconveniences that comes with
it, even if it brings no visible benefit to the giver. How much can mere 50
cents contribute towards the construction of the Church, compared to the
thousands others are donating? How does buying gifts for others benefit me when
they hardly remember me, or do not even know me or that it was me in the first
place? Why spend hours praying when I am not in the mood, or feeling
unproductive in my growth, when I can spend that time instead to focus on my
work, entertainment or social life? A hedonist may contend that all my actions
are ultimately contrived by myself for my own satisfaction and pleasure, but is
that really the case? Why then, do I sometimes go out my way for people even
when they do not bring me any benefit, whether materialistically or
emotionally, in present or in future? Perhaps to satiate my conscience? I
cannot say so as well: there are instances where I feel the person does not require
my interference, either because I do not know him/her well enough to have my
heartstrings tugged, or that God (I feel) would not mind since it is
technically not a sin anyways. So I must conclude this self-bias is not fully
done for self-interest.
Yet too much self-biasness
will enclose a person in a shell, and they will fail to recognise that God
works through other mediums as well, even though I stand by the faith that fullness
is found in the Catholic Church. After all, He willed Himself to be found in
all areas humanity and beyond can thread. For “…He
made from one every nation of men…that they
should seek God,” and that “He is not far from each of us” (Acts 17:26-28).
Some issues I encountered are
admittedly quite ridiculous. I can still recall back when Pokemon was all a
rage a local Catholic newspaper published an article cautioning the religious “problems”
that may arise from the fad. One example I clearly remember was how the writer likened
Bellsprout to Baal from the Bible. And incredibly I still find people from my
Church posting similar posts on Facebook in recent years. Tell me anime and
video games are tools of the devil; I would like to remind them Scripture was,
and still is being used to steer God’s faithful away from Him (Matthew 4:5-6).
Balancing the traditions
handed down while attempting to be progressive in today’s world can at times be
akin to walking a tightrope. To believe the earth revolves around the sun would
have condemned one to heresy several hundred years ago. Where do we draw the
line? How do can we discern what is sacred and what is embellishment? What is
fact and what is figurative? To be a catholic Catholic is much more complicated
than it seems. The Church – whom God promises will not be overcome by the gates
of Hell –, her core beliefs and the Bible should always remain as my foundation,
but all of us will someday have to build our own houses from the materials we gathered in our lives.
I pray that mine will be firmly established with those as my foundation, and
guided by the Holy Spirit in the finer matters arising when erecting the
walls.
RFG always.
