Philosophy

Power and Christian Spirituality

July 10, 2015

The Christian and Power

Christians are understandably nervous about power.

You know the saying, “Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

But at its most basic level, power is “being able to do what you want.” Therefore it is no different from strength, except that its associations transcend the athletic capacities of the physical body. And while we often want what is evil, this is not always so. Power is morally neutral in this sense.

Charisma: Being Liked and Solomon's Proverbs

June 7, 2015

What is Charisma?

Olivia Fox Cabane, in The Charisma Myth, outlines three qualities she finds important for becoming a charismatic person (Cabane, 13). I would define a charismatic person as “somebody who is well liked or favored in and beyond his or her circles of influence.”

Presence – She never actually defines this, but reading pages 13-17 gives the impression that presence is giving full attention to the people around you. Sometimes being a bit aloof can make somebody likable, but it's a risk.
Power – “Being seen as powerful means being perceived as able to affect the world around us” (18). In general, this is a trait that makes people likable. We invent gods because we love power.
Warmth – “Warmth…is goodwill toward others” (18).

Cabane's breakdown of charisma is very helpful. For instance, if somebody were to complain to me of not having friends or of having trouble getting people to like them, I would ask them whether or not they would rate themselves as possessors of these traits. It is certainly the case that people could be excluded unfairly on account of their attempts to be a good person or some form of issue based exclusion. But generally, if somebody is the black sheep in a group, it is because one or more of these traits are lacking.

Charisma and the Christian Life

According to the Bible, these traits are actually an important component of the wisdom. If you are skeptical about learning charisma, recall that as Jesus “grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:52)” In other words, it's okay to be well liked and to even grow in the traits that make you likable.

Of course, for the Christian to “be persecuted for righteousness’ sake” is far better than being liked for compromising truth, goodness, or holiness. So, favor with God always trumps favor with man, but they do not always contradict one another.

Religion is Child Abuse and Other Silly Ideas

February 27, 2015

A common claim on the internet these days is that raising children in a religious tradition is child abuse.

This same notion comes with a related notion that being religious is a form of brain disorder.

If you do not believe me, look this up. Richard Dawkins has claimed that raising children religiously is worse than pedophilia. Sam Harris says that being religious is worse than rape.

I challenge atheists who actually think this way to stop being lazy and perform their civic duties: