Mike King: I Am A Recovering Ideologue
I am a recovering ideologue. Ideologues often colonize environments and justify the use of dubious means to accomplish results supporting their ideologies. Because of their passionate advocacy, they are willing to throw people under the bus to advance their causes. They are black and white in their thinking. You’re either with them or against them. There is no middle ground. They see categories, not people. They guard against looking into the faces of real people, knowing that might shed light on the hypocrisy of their ideological dogmas.
If you think I’m talking about someone you radically disagree with, you just might be an ideologue. Perhaps a little self-reflection is in order.
We must ask ourselves, In what ways am I willing to twist a theological position just to advance a cause I believe in? We must learn to read Scripture over and against ourselves instead of assuming the warnings are always directed at the other and not ourselves.
Having come out of a conservative background (both politically and theologically), Ironically, I find it hard not to be dismissive of the people who are like the person I used to be. My world is more expansive now. As my world of relationships has expanded, I naively assumed political and theological liberals would be kinder and more progressive. However, I’ve learned that all ideologues are the same. They want their way. They’re right; you’re wrong. If you think differently, you’re an enemy. They label and dismiss those who don’t agree with their positions. ...
Nice post.
