I don’t think I have ever seen a time in my life or in the history of the world that people are more uncritical in their acceptance and allegiance to their ideology. All I see are illustrations of “myside bias” that, without deep evaluation and critical thinking, leads to hatred, slander, then rage.

We are back in the dark ages of the mind.

More than ever we need sobriety from this addiction to foolishness. When our best arguments comes from passionately biased sources, “Argumentum ad Populum” (an appeal to popularity, public opinion or to the majority) becomes the fallacious standard.

“I must be right. There are lots of people who agree with me and have a giant megaphone! They would not have this big of a megaphone if they were not on to something. Dissenters are wrong because they don’t agree with the greatest number of and loudest voices.”

We need arguments, not rhetoric. We need understanding, not slander. We need to consider deeply that we might be wrong so we can have a better understanding of what is right.

God gave us a mind for a reason. He does not appreciate its waste.


C Michael Patton
C Michael Patton

C. Michael Patton is the primary contributor to the Parchment and Pen/Credo House Blog. He has been in ministry for nearly twenty years as a pastor, author, speaker, and blogger. Th.M. Dallas Theological Seminary (2001), president of Credo House Ministries and Credo Courses, author of Now that I'm a Christian (Crossway, 2014) Increase My Faith (Credo House, 2011), and The Theology Program (Reclaiming the Mind Ministries, 2001-2006), host of Theology Unplugged, and primary blogger here at Parchment and Pen. But, most importantly, husband to a beautiful wife and father to four awesome children. Michael is available for speaking engagements. Find him everywhere: Find him everywhere

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