Can the religious be saved from tribal conflicts?
Reflections on Joshua Greene's Moral Tribes
How can we escape from the tragedy of religious groups in conflict?
Killing, rape, and hate-filled-loud-angry-in-your-face
verbal assaults routinely fill news headlines. And the sad thing is that sometimes the conflict is between religious tribes. Who would want to be a part of such a
religion?
Fortunately, for most of the world, the combat is more
subtle. It’s more about killing reputations, insisting that God wants you to
live a miserable life (strict rules against divorce or remarriage), or splitting a group over moral clashes like abortion or same-sex marriage.
Understanding moral conflict is the quest of
philosopher-psychologist Joshua Greene. I read his book Moral Tribes earlier
this year (2014) and finally got round to writing a review. There are many ways to
analyze his work. I’ll name just two.
1. People act before they think. For me, an intriguing part of the book is the way he
weaves numerous experiments together to show the powerful influences of inner
(think brain damage, disease) and outer events (numerous barely noticeable
events) on moral judgments. Sanctimonious language is what we hear at rallies or
read on placards or online flamesites. But a moral or immoral act often happens
quickly. Acts of moral harm can be triggered by events outside the parameters
of our brain’s ability to perceive and process information in sufficient time
to apply the brakes. We all need time to think before firing moral missiles.
2. Metamorality is needed. Greene quests for a metamorality. Many will disagree
with his answer, which is a refurbished, yet fairly argued consequentialism, he
calls deep pragmatism (think Bentham and Mill). I’ll not dwell on the
philosophy. Greene has a practical point. We need a metamorality to overcome
the tribalism that continually fragments social groups (families, churches,
organizations, nations) and often leads to murder or attempts to wipe out an
entire tribe.
Morality and Religion
Greene’s book is not about religion per se —although he
does refer to religion from time to time. My interest in the Psychology of
Religion directs my attention to the painful wars between religious tribes.
What’s to be done?
1. Promote
interfaith prayer.
On 8 June 2014, Pope Francis met with Shimon Peres
(Israeli President) and Mahmoud Abbas (Palestinian President). The focus of the unlikely prayer meeting was
prayers for peace and they symbolically planted an olive tree. Perhaps this
effort is doomed like many before. But thank God people are still willing to
meet and give peace a try. Religion and politics are often a volatile mix around the world.
2. Expand common
ground.
In the U.S. religious leaders often argue over what makes their
group distinctive as if selling a new tech product. I recall as a boy that some
churches claimed to have the full gospel—a
not so subtle dig at those who had only a partial gospel. And as a member of a
small Protestant tribe it was common to hear attacks on Catholics- those idol
worshipers- so called because of the images of the saints found in their sanctuaries. Fortunately, I had
wonderful Catholic cousins. We had a common faith of Christianity even though we were in different tribal groupings. We had a common ground. And we had no rules against so called idols in nativity
scenes as did many conservative evangelicals in the 1950s.
Buddhism is the second largest faith behind Christianity
in some Utah counties. Religious people, including Muslims, are finding common
values centering on a family-friendly environment in many parts of Utah (See the Deseret
News).
Nowadays, it’s common to find Catholics, Evangelicals,
and Mormons working together to affirm shared moral virtues. Peace expands when
religious leaders affirm common values rather than distinctives.
3. Cooperate on
common causes.
Following the Kenyan tribal massacre, I went with a friend
to a refugee camp near Nairobi. The Red Cross was there with workers round the
globe. Tents bore U.S. and U.K. flags. And an American Christian group, Convoy
of Hope, handed out sacks of rice. Following tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes,
fires, and bombings, the relief arms of numerous religious groups reach out to
offer shelter, medical care, food, water, and supplies. International efforts
pool resources to help regardless of the religious affiliation of the needy. I
mentioned two above: The Red Cross and Convoy of Hope. There’s World Vision and
Red Crescent too along with numerous agencies tied to particular religious
tribes.
4. Build a bigger
tent.
In the U.S., it is still common for Americans to attend mostly white
or mostly black churches. Christians were divided over slavery. And Christians still maintain segregated churches although the segregation appears to be a matter of staying with friends rather than an intentional act. No government edicts force the mixing of people
of colour in churches as happened in U.S. schools and workplaces.
Of course, nowadays it would be rare to find a U.S.
Christian who wishes for a segregated church. They are more likely to want to
encourage diversity. But it wasn’t always that way. Someone had to lead the faithful.
It’s hard to believe that the Rev. Billy
Graham took religious flak for inviting black ministers to join him on the
platform and working to bring blacks and whites together in his meetings.
"When God looks at you, He doesn't look on the
outward appearance," Graham said to the diverse crowd. "The Bible
says He looks upon the heart."
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Religious traditions can be a valuable way to sustain
people during life’s tough times. And the familiar traditions of childhood may
be more helpful than abandoning them for the sake of creating some megachurch
without deep roots. I’m not about bashing traditions. But a big tent attitude
can mean coming together for special events. Times to pray, share encouraging
texts, and celebrate events together—not just following disasters but more like
community services at Easter for Christians. To use a psychologist’s phrase
(Barbara Fredickson), we need to broaden
and build on the positive, which has the potential to heal rather
than destroy.
Christian activist Brian McLaren invites religious
people to endorse a Generous Orthodoxy. Of course, he
takes flak too. Many fear giving up the truth. Many wonder what they have in
common with other religious tribes. Fortunately, more and more people are
finding ways to value their traditions and those of others.
5. Foster
cooperation and compassion.
If you are a leader and want to promote a moral approach to loving one's neighbour as oneself, you have several options. Cooperation can be encouraged by example and
by focusing on the scriptures that illustrate charitable giving (see for
example Rand
et al., 2013). And forgiveness is a virtue that can lead to reconciliation.
Forgiveness is a process that is often hard to
accomplish. Forgiveness heals the hurts of the past. Forgiveness pays big
dividends for individuals and opens pathways for potential reconciliation.
Apologies help. Christian churches in particular have a motivation to foster
forgiveness because forgiveness is a commandment and not an option. Forgiveness
is a relationship repair tool. And forgiveness between groups can occur as part
of a reconciliation process. Warring tribes can learn to cooperate. But someone
must step up to promote a course of forgiveness and reconciliation.
And back to a lesson from Greene's book, moral acts are often quick and under the radar of thought. We need time to think. Leaders especially need to consider the effects of moral missiles sent to the faithful and circulated on social media sites.
Quick Thoughts
Cooperation is at
the heart of morality.
Morality, like
spirituality, is relational.
Peace expands when
religious leaders affirm common values rather than differences.
We all need time to think before firing moral missiles.
Forgiveness is a
relationship repair tool.
Forgiveness can lay the groundwork for reconciliation.
RELATED POSTS
Peace
Cite this post
Sutton, G. W. (2014, June 13). How can religious people cooperate rather than fight? Geoff W. Sutton Blog. Retrieved from https://geoffwsutton.blogspot.com/2014/06/how-can-religious-people-cooperate.html
REFERENCES
Greene,
J. (2013). Moral tribes: Emotion, reason,
and the gap between us and them. New York: The Penguin Press. On AMAZON
Mittelstadt, M. & G. W. Sutton (eds.) (2010) Forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration: Multidisciplinary studies from a Pentecostal perspective. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications. ISBN: 9781608991945
Sutton, G. W. (2017, August 11). Moral Tribes by Joshua Greene: A book review. Interdisciplinary Book and Film Reviews. Retrieved from https://suttonreviews.suttong.com/2017/08/moral-tribes-by-joshua-greene-book.html
Post updated 19 August 2024
Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is www.suttong.com
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