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Understanding vs Being Right

“It is difficult to get a man to understand something,” wrote Upton Sinclair, “when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” My brother is a Catholic priest, which means his salary depends on him being right about his religion more than understanding anyone who has a different perspective about his religion. Making matters worse, my brother has convinced himself that he and his religion are exactly the same thing. That means that any attempt to address any of the problems related to his religion, from inherent contradictions of killing the innocent as a form of “justice” to crucifixions and witch burnings and the threat of hell as forms of “love,” are therefore felt by him as personal attacks upon himself and his own moral fiber. His job, as a result, is to defend his own spiritual ego before every considering how his brand of religion is anything other than the infallible truth of love he needs and desires. For him, misunderstanding anyone else's perspective on his religion amounts to "divine understanding," as it is his job to defend his brand of religion. And defending his brand of religion is paramount to defending his own ego.

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