THE TRUTH IS WE'RE INDIFFERENT

Love is a passion, a human passion. If you were to think of some antonyms or opposites of this passion, what would they be? Some of these antonyms would have the presence of passion, although their resulting expression would be of a very different type. Some would have little or no apparent passion at all. These are all human responses to circumstances and persons we encounter on a daily basis in our living. In our interview today, from sociologist of religion, Robert Wuthnow, of Princeton, he describes the American/Christian response to most other religious expressions as "indifference." This is one of the possible antonyms of the passion of love, the "whatever" response to our present multi-religious world.                               

Why do we become indifferent? Is it a psychological or sociological defense mechanism response? Is there a danger to responding with indifference?

Below are some of Wuthnow's comments on his surveys and studies regarding American attitudes to the presence of non-Christian faith traditions in America.

"Theologically...they really believe something different from you. You respond, 'Well that's okay. That may be true for them. What I believe is true for me...I sort of know it from my own experience."

"We are only beginning to face up to the sense of doubt we have in the Christian community, especially about "truth" as it has been traditionally defined."

From a survey in 2000, two-thirds of the respondents agreed with both of these statements:

"Christianity is the best way to know God."

"All religions are equally true."

In regards to people thinking deeply about the truth of their own religion:

"I don't think a lot of people have really sorted that out."

The individual response as contrasted to the institutional response:

"All I can do is be an example and leave it at that." (Pope Francis vs the Vatican Spokesman)

In the future:

"more tolerance and acceptance, but on the other hand, more attempts to look back within our own religious tradition (and determine) What do I really believe?"

Walter Morton for Terra Incognita