Although cynicism in the modern sense can refer to a general attitude of skepticism towards the moral legitimacy of others' motives, a broader form of cynicism is about recognizing that many people will blatantly choose ignorance, hypocrisy, intellectual errors, and moral apathy even when confronted about these issues. In other words, this kind of cynicism entails the idea that low expectations for the intellectual and moral performance of the majority of humankind are rarely exceeded (not that one shouldn't demand more).
It is odd that many people seem to think that Christianity is incompatible with basic cynicism, as there is not only nothing about one that contradicts the other, but the Bible is also overtly cynical in its descriptions of humanity as a whole. The Bible does not teach cynicism in the fallacious Calvinist sense which holds that no human is capable of autonomously doing the right thing (or in the fallacious evangelical sense which holds that sinlessness is impossible for humans to achieve), but in the sense that it predicts that most people are too lost in self-imposed delusions to care about truth.
The numerous warnings in the Bible that the majority embraces a path that leads to destruction (such as Matthew 7:13) make this clear on their own. Only a fool could read the Bible and sincerely conclude that it says anything positive about the general tendency of most people--again, I am not denying the logical possibility of humans achieving a state of sinlessness, nor am I ignoring the obvious differences in individual tendencies and moral resolve. However, the Bible certainly does not support anti-cynicism.
When defined in a certain way, cynicism is indeed a thoroughly Biblical ideology. Cynical expectations are, furthermore, the only sound expectations one could have of most people, as it only takes a relatively short period of time to realize that stupidity and hypocrisy are by far the prevailing characteristics of the average person. Christian cynicism is far from an oxymoron.
You're right about the Bible not having a positive portrayal of humanity. I have seen plenty of people come to conclude a Calvinistic view because of the way it describes the human condition. Like every human who has ever lived is just unapologetically evil and are literally incapable of having morally good motives or doing good acts. Maybe you've seen these example verses Christians have alluded to. I've seen ones like Romans 7:15-20 and Jeremiah 17:9 often quoted in support for this view. Now I'm not Calvinist, but I admit I kind of have a hard time explaining verses like these to show it doesn't contradict free will.
ReplyDeleteOne question I have more relevant to your post, even though it is a "negative" attitude, are there possible benefits to cynicism?
You bring up some great issues that Christians need to discuss more! Unfortunately, I have seen Calvinists point to verses like the ones in question. Romans 7:15-20 is a description of Paul's internal conflict as a Christian rather than a comment that is necessarily and explicitly relevant to the topic of free will. For the passage to be consistent with the rest of the Bible, Paul would have to merely be saying that he dislikes the fact that he can still sin after becoming aware of what Mosaic Law defines as sin (Romans 7:7). Even the fact that he says he wants to do the right thing means that he isn't claiming all humans are wholly evil, without even the ability to not sin, because simply wanting to do what is good is itself an indicator of moral character, even if it is only a small one.
DeleteJeremiah 17:9 is more of a hyperbolic statement about the capacity for human wickedness than anything else. It certainly does not contradict the Bible verses that do affirm free will (even though I can prove to myself that I have free will regardless of what the Bible says). In fact, the very next verse describes God as judging people according to what they deserve as individuals, which means Jeremiah 17:9 wouldn't be lumping all people together and saying that everyone is unable to pursue righteousness on any level. The Bible even has several examples of pagans whom it praises as righteous (not that anyone can possibly know moral facts through conscience), so it definitely couldn't teach Calvinistic anthropology and soteriology without contradicting itself, even if one isn't looking at the contradictions inherent in the idea of God forcing people to sin.
Calvinists confuse the ability to sin in a certain area for an inevitable surrender to sin. Humans are capable of misusing every aspect of life for evil purposes, but this doesn't mean that they actually will, whether they are Christians or not. One of the most frustrating things about human sin is the simple fact that it never has to occur at all. The Bible simply shows that many people will freely choose sin even when threatened with tangible divine judgment (like the Egyptians in Exodus).
As for your question about the benefits of cynicism, there are at least two benefits I can think of. When someone knows what can be rationally expected from most people, i.e. the irrational majority, he or she is in a better position to manipulate them--but not in an objectifying way that treats them as if they are nothing but a means to a personal end, of course! It is just easier to get what you want when you realize that most people aren't very intelligent or just, as you can plan accordingly. The second benefit is that the person who does not expect intellectual or moral greatness from humanity as a whole is less likely to be personally wounded when it becomes clear that most people don't care about truth. Before I became a very thorough rationalist, I used to think that many people would choose to align themselves with truth and justice if they were just explained correctly. My expectations led to significant personal disappointments for a long time.
Thanks for explaining those two verses! It is frustrating to deal with that worldview because it's so logically muddled. Plus, a lot get very defensive and accuse YOU as ignoring what Scripture says or trying to usurp God's sovereignty with the will of human. It really is a shame that Christians don't seriously contemplate through their ideas and just cling onto assumptions and traditions of the church.
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, I almost went deep down the presuppositionalist path many years back. So I understand the feeling of "safety" and not needing to seriously challenge yourself, which is just SO convenient, isn't it. I got to a point in my life where I got sick of being or feeling misled by a lot of what the modern church culture has taught and chose the rationalist path instead! I really do hope I can inspire other Christians to do the same, even if not everybody will.
I completely understand the second benefit of cynicism, still trying to understand the first one. Would you mind offering an example?
Of course! I get very frustrated when people accuse someone of "ignoring" the Bible for simply elaborating on what it does or doesn't say, whether the issue is Calvinism or something else. Fallacious ideas like Calvinism, eternal conscious torment (for all beings), sexual prudery, "natural law" moral epistemology, and complementarianism all contradict the Bible very blatantly, but traditionalists think anyone who challenges them is the irrational and heretical one. I bet you've sensed my frustration with this many times from the way that I write!
DeleteI can relate to feeling comfortable with presuppositionalist ideas, as I was all over the place ideologically before I became a rationalist myself! I agreed with at least some parts of presuppositionalism (while calling Christianity rational at the same time) before my rationalism, but I was so inconsistent in other ways about 6-7 years ago. Even though I didn't know all of the terms, I was a complementarian who lived like an egalitarian in some cases, I supported some forms of legalism while denouncing others, and I was partially a fitheist and partially a theistic evidentialist, to give a few examples. I, like you, eventually decided that I simply wasn't going to make assumptions. It's so refreshing for me to find the few people out there who are like you!
Like the second benefit, the first benefit of cynicism helps one prepare for realistically dealing with other people. In this case, though, this is not about protecting your emotions from disappointment, but about knowing/planning how to get what you want despite the general incompetence of others. For instance, if someone knows that the average person is stupid and a slave to arbitrary social norms, they can manipulate that stupidity by strategically acting within social expectations just enough to make it easier to achieve certain goals without opposition. Does that make more sense?
Ok yeah, I think I understand! And wow, I didn't realize you used to be the many things you criticize harshly today. That must've been a lot of maturing. Props to you, dude. Just know that you've definitely helped me shed a couple of my previous beliefs (the earliest ones I remember going were the equality of sins and modesty) and use reason to keep myself rooted in what's true and grounded in the stress of life and dealing with fallacious people (even if I don't always do a good job haha).
DeleteSo thanks for that! You're a godsend. I'm hoping you have plenty of other people in your life you've inspired and helped and that you continue to do so--even if disappointingly, it's not going to be everybody.
Anyway, I wasn't expecting to get so sappy haha. I just really appreciate it, man. Just didn't want you to feel too hopeless about that!
I deeply appreciate the encouragement! Ever since your first comment here in early 2017, I've loved seeing your questions and observations. You're a reminder that there are people out there who genuinely care about truth, even if there aren't many of them! I'm very grateful for your presence here!
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