What if they love their children too?
In 1985 Sting released a single titled, “Russians.” While reading through Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts & Tools by Elder, I couldn’t stop singing the line from the song, “I hope the Russians love their children too.” By describing his dream, Sting was also challenging his hearers to practice critical thinking. As Elder states, “Everyone thinks; it is our nature to [think critically]. But much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted, partial, uninformed or down-right prejudiced.”1 In the height of the Cold War, it seems to me, that Sting was confronting the Problem of Sociocentric Thinking by exposing the West’s failure to think beyond her traditional prejudices. Who in the Reagan Administration would ever publicly state that the parents of the Evil Empire might actually love their children too. The process of becoming a critical thinker is the process of confronting one’s own biases, distortions, lack of information, and personal prejudices. It challenges me to ask today, who else must love their children too? Do Iraqi’s love their children too? Do Syrians? Palestinians? My muslim neighbor who lives across the street from me? If all one does is watch the presidential candidate debates on television like the one last night, and not think critically, one would not ever guess that refugees might love their children too!
At the risk of sounding preachy, of course Jesus was showing what it really means to love our neighbor when he told the Parable of the Good Samaritan. After reading this book I am convinced that through describing the actions of that Samaritan, Jesus was also confronting the different psychological standards within what Elder calls, The Problem of Egocentric Thinking. Many people I pastor today struggle with the same thinking (and belief!) that the lawyer in Luke must have fallen victim of: “It’s true because I believe it,” and “It’s true because we believe it,” and “It’s true because I want to believe it,” and “It’s true because I have always believed it,” and “It’s true because it is my selfish interest to believe it.” We just started a new series at The Hub to confront this very thing.3
This, by far, has been the easiest book to read and understand. However, for me, this is also the most difficult book to put into practice. Learning how to read properly à la Adler is like forcing myself to work out at the gym. Once I overcome all my excuses not to, I do it and always feel better afterwards. Reading how to practice visual ethnography was confusing at first, but I find that feelings and senses are easy for me to express and relate to when viewing moving or still images. However, this book, because it reads like a cookbook full of delicious meals, is simple to read, but like my attempts to make a gourmet meal, these various steps take skill, precision, and time…a lot of time. I don’t know many people who are, “self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective”2 when it comes to their thinking. Consequently, it is very obvious to me why we would be assigned this book at the start of our DMin program. This book, like Turabian, will become a practical reference for me for the next three years and beyond.
My favorite parts of the book are the graphics. I wish I could print out The Elements of Thought, Three Levels of Thought, Intellectual Traits or Virtues, and The Standards-The Elements-Intellectual Traits and post them as posters in my classroom and church office. The hardest part of this book for me is the Analyzing & Assessing Research section. Because I am starting this DMin program and excited to “do” research, I paid particular attention to this chapter. For me, I’m finding that formulating the question or problem for this first leg of our journey to be quite a struggle. I am really looking forward to Hong Kong and meeting everyone in person. I am also looking forward to all the conversations that will help one another put many of the steps in this book into practice.
1 Paul, Richard; Elder, Linda (2014-10-20). Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts & Tools (Thinker’s Guide Library) (Kindle Locations 29-30). Foundation for Critical Thinking. Kindle Edition.
2 IBID(Kindle Locations 39-40).
3 http://believethestory.com
About the Author
Aaron Peterson
I am a working priest which means that I am a husband(to Lisa), dad(to four wonderful children), senior pastor and church planter(The Hub Vineyard Church), and high school social studies teacher(Verdugo Hills High School LAUSD). I am currently working towards a DMIN in Leadership & Global Perspectives @George Fox Seminary.6 responses to “What if they love their children too?”
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Excellent point, Aaron! You made me want to download Sting to my Spotify account. Confession – I’ve never heard him, but I’m willing to “critically think” through his music.
It’s interesting to think in terms of the Republican debate.
How many presidential candidates made conclusive statements based upon opinion, background, tradition and peer pressure? The greatest frustration in politics is the lack of authenticity amongst leaders. After reading this week’s assignment, I would dare to suggest that many of the candidates were led by “party” pressure; not personal perspective. Were they sincere or simply swayed by voters? Intellectual Perseverance requires one to delve into a topic at length. Paul and Elder suggest that it is the “…sense of the need to struggle with confusion and unsettled questions over an extended period of time to achieve deeper understanding or meaning” (Paul, 191). Critical thinking should exhaust you. It should leave you challenged and convicted in your stance.
Hi Colleen. I agree. I think our current political climate and our media are not up for the time and exhaustion that comes with critical thinking. That unfortunately is part of a bygone era. When Lincoln debated Douglas for one of the Illinois senate seats in 1858 they were outside on a platform with no cameras or microphones and they critically thought and discussed various issues for FOUR hours while people stood and listened. Hard to see what we’ve evolved into.
Aaron – GREAT thoughts!
I’m particularly taken by your core theme. How often DO we ask if our ideological opposites love their children? I’m almost spell-bound to think about what wars might have been avoided by asking such a question. I realize that’s totally idealistic, but still.
I must add (Colleen if you re-read these comments) that I sprouted 5 more gray hairs reading that Colleen has never heard of Sting.
Thanks Marc. I think many historical events would be different if we ask ourselves that question.
Lisa and I got to see Sting three years ago at the Wiltern in Hollywood. We were the youngest people in the audience!
I love that Sting album. It was one of the “contraband” ones that I listened to, then burned, then bought again!! One of the things that have made me really think deeply and critically in the social media at this point in time is Bruce Jenner. He publicly dealt with an issue that one of my students was doing and dealing with privately a couple months before. To be a man or a women, is clear but it is also really deep in this day and time. How do I think from a different perspective then the “burn the album” thoughts that I grew up with.
Thanks for the throwback to great music that had layers of depth and musicianship and for making me think about how I look at things.
I am also looking forward to meeting everyone in Hong Kong.
Kevin
Cheers Kevin! So many of my friends bought-burned-bought again. Sheesh, we Christians can get weird sometimes.