Thinking for Oneself

Due to my tendency to cite other authors whose ideas I appreciate, I am sometimes cautioned to be careful of buying into someone else's opinion of things without investigating it personally. This is actually an important yet little-known principle of many religions. In the New Testament we read: “But do not trust any and every spirit, my friends. Test the spirits, to see whether they are from God...” (1 John 4:1), and “Prove all things and hold fast to that which is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21).

The same principle is found in Islam, which advises to seek knowledge throughout the world, even as far as China, and says that “if a wicked person brings you news, first investigate, lest you commit an injustice towards some people, out of ignorance, then become sorry and remorseful for what you have done.” (Koran 46:6)

Likewise, the Bahá'í Faith says, “The best beloved of all things in my sight is justice... By its aid you will see with your own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and will know of your own knowledge and not through the knowledge of your neighbor.” (Bahá’u’lláh, Hidden Words) and also, “Being one, truth cannot be divided, and the differences that appear to exist ... only result from attachment to prejudice. If only men would search out truth, they would find themselves united.” (‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Paris Talks).

These teachings are not just happy thoughts. They have meant the difference between life and death for many millions. For example, how crucial the Christian teaching of not trusting but testing the spirits is at the present time, when a tiny but very powerful minority that is benefiting from the war in Iraq is doing everything in its power to mislead American Christians into supporting the war effort (both politically and bodily) under the guileful guise of “supporting our troops” - a very Christian thing to do, after all!

History has shown that, given a well-crafted message and a sufficiently submissive people, even those who claim to be pacifists and follow the Prince of Peace can be tricked into supporting the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Conquest, or even the American Oil Wars! “Let us then test these spirits, friends, and find them lacking; for they are serving but their own selfish interests”.