I’ve been training in the martial arts for nearly 20 years, and I have run my own school for nearly 9 years (a very successful school at that, as we have won two national awards, including best school for children in the entire United States in 2008 by Black Belt Magazine). And of course, I’ve had political and religious opinions since I was able to talk. The martial arts can provide us with insights to understanding political and religious attitudes, and if you give me a chance, even if you know nothing about the martial arts, I just may be able to create a good metaphor to enhance our understanding of political and religious attitudes.
First, there are a variety of martial arts styles. Even the biggies that non-martial arts folk would recognize like karate, tae kwon do, kung fu, judo, and more all have several different styles (There are hundreds of styles of karate, for example). Each style builds a specific foundation of combat principles. Additionally, the students of each style often view their style of martial arts as superior to the any other style. (Sound familiar, yet?)
Second, one who is interested in the martial arts often picks a school based on location and convenience. Many small towns, for example, may only have one martial arts studio, so interested students must learn the specific style of that school. Additionally, few people actually research the different styles of martial arts before picking one. Students are consumers, and consumers are manipulated through marketing techniques and claims of superiority. If a martial arts school is to be successful, its marketing will claim to offer the best self-defense and physical fitness available.
Third, when someone has been training in one particular martial art for a long time, it is incredibly hard to switch styles. Why? Because one style builds a foundation of techniques and principles, and to switch styles often means starting completely over and rebuilding an entire foundation, which of course is tremendously difficult.
In reflecting on my martial arts training and teaching, I’ve come to a few insights about the political and religious worlds. Like martial arts, there are a variety of political viewpoints and religious belief systems. Like martial arts, each political viewpoint and religion often sees itself as superior to others. Like martial arts, people adopt political and religious viewpoints based on what is available to them at home and in their community. Politics and religion are no doubt adopted out of convenience—it’s what has been taught to us.
Even as we are further educated, it is incredibly difficult to change our attitudes. Our politics and religion have created a foundation of thought, and to change religious viewpoints or political philosophy, one must destroy and rebuild his or her entire foundation.
As a martial arts teacher, I emphasize to my students that there is no superior style. Sure, there are better teachers and better martial artists, but there is no one superior style. I further encourage my students to keep an open-mind to other martial arts styles and feel free to explore what else is out there. In my own training, although I primarily focus on one specific form of karate, I have trained in dozens of other styles—some for a few months, some for a few years. I feel that if I only focus on one martial arts style that my combat skills will be limited. I must develop an understanding of several styles to develop a balanced, well-rounded approach to combat.
It’s that kind of open-mindedness and education that is missing from politics and especially from religion. Most political fans do not spend enough time trying to learn the ideology and logic behind the other political group’s camp. Few if any religions will spend any time respectfully teaching the beliefs of another system. Instead, our politics becomes more divided because we do not listen with an open-mind to our opponents. The religions of the world claim moral superiority over all others, and the religiously devoted rarely consider the possibility that they could be wrong.
I’m a very politically opinionated guy, and I waste no time criticizing what I see as bad ideas, bad people, and bad programs. But unlike many of my opponents, I admit that I could be wrong. Yep, it’s possible. How many of you can honestly say that?
It’s the possibility of being wrong that led to the creation of this blog. I want to hear different attitudes. But I also want those who oppose me to truly try to understand the logic and the empathy behind my attitudes. In politics, I optimistically believe we can all be on the same page. We can all care about people and transfer our care into sound logic and reasoning as to what will be the best way to help our people.
In religion, I’m not as sure. The best bet for the religious is to keep it private. Once one’s religion is public, then the religion dominates public policy and opinion, and no religion should have that power because no one religion is superior to any other. In order for religion to survive in a world of logic, one must be able to detach from his or her religion to view the world from a more appropriate benchmark (in other words, a benchmark in which no one religion is superior to others). If individuals cannot detach from religion to view the world through sound logic and reasoning, then that individual’s reasoning for politics and social policy will be severely misguided. It could lead to discrimination of gender, sexual orientation, race, and much more (and clearly, all of the major world religions have embraced discrimination in one form or another based on superstitious ideas that cannot be proven).
So what’s the metaphor here and what can we learn from the metaphor? First, like martial arts styles, individuals view their politics and religion as superior to others. Second, like martial arts styles, religious and political viewpoints are taught to us based on location and convenience. We learn our politics and religion from our home environment, local churches, and local culture. Third, just like martial arts training, the longer I have “trained” or been taught from specific political and religious ideologies, the harder it is to change. We become more focused in one style or one way of thought, and over time, other styles and methods of thinking are simply incompatible with the foundation of attitudes we have developed.
So now what? If you accept the above ideas as true (and I cannot understand how any logical person could see otherwise), then we must challenge ourselves by examining the ideas and evidence of our opponents. Although I emphasize open-mindedness, self-analysis, and education, there is by nature an inherent problem with conservative thinking. The problem is this: conservatives by nature hold on to traditional beliefs and develop an “absolute” form of thinking. For a conservative, progressive ideas are harmful because the ideas disrupt their foundation. For many conservatives, there is no reason to consider opposite viewpoints because conservatives possess an “absolute” way of thinking where they are already convinced they are right and everyone else is wrong.
This dogmatic absolutism is incredibly dangerous. It results in criticizing change, even when change is beneficial to them. It results in discrimination in two areas: 1) Their sense of superiority to other political viewpoints and religion creates an atmosphere of negative discourse and emotional manipulations such as fear instead of an examination of logic and evidence and 2) Their absolutism has been the source of discrimination against women (equal pay act), minorities (Arizona’s immigration law, Tea Party behavior in general, civil rights), and homosexuals (denying rights to gay couples). The sense of absolutism and tradition does not allow room for most conservatives to grow.
On the other hand, a progressive point of view is able to consider and examine conservative and religious ideas from an unbiased perspective. However, the examination does require evidence, logic, and reasoning, and if conservative ideas and religious viewpoints cannot provide evidence, logic, and reasoning, then those ideas must be abandoned.
Some conservatives do have the sense of open-mindedness I emphasize, but unfortunately, simply by definition, many cannot move beyond the traditions and superstitions they see as true. Our politics and religion today should be able to move beyond labels to a point where we can embrace truth, logic, open-mindedness, and respect.
Here’s what such a philosophy must include:
- A civil discourse that allows for an exchange of ideas based on logic and evidence.
- An attitude that there is no absolute right or wrong ideology, with the exception that an ideology unable to provide factual evidence, observable data, and sound logic cannot be included in discussions of public policy.
- Learning the principles and facts of different perspectives from unbiased sources. For example, the religious should seek an academic background from unbiased universities. Any person who considers themselves religious but has never moved beyond the church and religious texts is really not a religious authority. Such a person needs to explore the academics of religion based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning as best provided by academic institutions whose purpose is to provide truth and knowledge, not biased, one-sided information.
In the end, if we can simply come to the conclusion that no one style or ideology is superior, that we must deeply explore other styles and ideologies from unbiased sources, that we believe what we believe based upon geography and convenience, and that we must challenge ourselves, we could live in a much stronger world. A world based on logic, not superstition. A world that wants to grow, not hold on to tradition just because of “that’s the way it has always been”. A world that views all people as equal and treats all people as such.
Can you picture such a world? I can. It’s why I am a teacher. It’s why I am a lifelong student. It’s why I write this blog. Can we grow and learn from each other? Can we replace bias, illogic, and superstition with fact, logic, and evidence? Yes, we can, but it is going to be one long journey.