Schismatic Cognition

Do you know what you think, or do you think what you know?

Descartes' famous statement: "Cogito ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am) is considered to be a foundational element of Western philosophy. The idea is that the exercise of thought proves one's existence. OK, cognitive actively tells me I'm alive. But how are my thoughts related to the quality of my life?

Another famous thinker wrote: "As he [a man] thinks within himself, so he is." King Solomon's statement in Proverbs 23 refers to the connection between thought, or belief, and behavior.

A variation of my original question is, "Do you really believe what you know?" For example, if you have any church background at all you know that Jesus loves you. But in your heart of hearts do you truly believe it?

To summarize Merriam-Webster, a belief is "conviction of the truth of a statement, being, or phenomenon . . . based upon evidence." It seems feasible to give cognitive assent to an idea or concept without experiencing the evidence needed for it become a conviction.

Simply put, we act on what we believe.

Christians have many "knowings" that we don't necessarily accept as being true for ourselves (or for each other). Jesus said we would know the truth, and that the truth would set us free. But many of us don't live freely because we won't accept the truth.

"Jesus loves me this I know", but we still perform for him in hopes that he'll somehow allow us to sneak through the Pearly Gates.

New Testament writers define us as righteous, holy, accepted, and blameless, but we insist that we are still "sinners saved by grace" who practice and promote one of Churchianity's favorite mantras: "What a worm am I!"

We recite Christ's words about the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, yet we worry to the point of developing a wide array of stress-related illnesses.

Easter Sunday finds us celebrating the once-for-all forgiveness and removal of our sins, still we maintain a death-grip on the chains that bind our own personal Sin Meter to our weary backs.

No, many of us flatly do not believe much of what we know. There is a great schism between our Christian thoughts and our actions. So even though we are free indeed, our words and actions are marked by the bondage of faulty beliefs. Because we believe love is won through measurable behavior, we are unable to love without condition. Because we struggle to receive Christ's forgiveness for our own sins, we find it difficult to forgive others (and ourselves). Etc., etc., etc.

To be continued.