Egocentric Thinking and Refugees in 2016 America
Egocentric thinking results from the unfortunate fact that humans do not naturally consider the rights and needs of others…We do not naturally recognize our egocentric assumptions, the egocentric way we use information, the egocentric way we interpret data, the source of our egocentric concepts and ideas, the implications of our egocentric thought. We do not naturally recognize our self-serving perspective.
– Paul, Richard, and Linda Elder. The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking – Concepts and Tools. 2014.
2015 was a transitional year in America when it came to the public’s views about our nation’s refugee resettlement program. Congress passed the first refugee legislation in 1948 following the admission of displaced Europeans from World War II. In the 1960’s and 70’s thousands of Cubans and Vietnamese came fleeing Communism. In the 1990s we saw many refugees come to this country from Africa and Eastern Europe.
After September 11, 2001, there was a strong bias among our public against Arabic people living in this country. The horror of that day changed the way that many Americans view Muslims.
In recent years, the conflict in Syria, the attack on our embassy in Libya, and the televised executions by ISIS have caused many Americans to rethink our nation’s refugee resettlement program.
This came to a climax on November 13, 2015 when perpetrators connected to ISIS took the lives of 130 people in Paris. Subsequent attacks by those sympathetic to ISIS in San Bernardino and Jacksonville were met with outcries among many to stop the flow of refugees into the United States.
As I read the section about Egocentric Thinking in Paul and Elder’s book, I could not stop applying this concept to the issue of refugees in America. Below are some of my thoughts connected to the outline found in The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking.
STATEMENT: The U.S. should shut down our refugee resettlement program. Not to do so would invite terrorists to infiltrate our nation.
“It’s true because I believe it.”
I need to start off by saying that Americans (both on the left and on the right) who have a healthy fear of Islamic radicals are not crazy. There are areas of our world where women are stoned for unproven accusations, Christians are raped and beheaded, and gay men are thrown off of rooftops. Yet, the facts are undeniable that the vast majority of applicants for refugee resettlement are not approved by the U.N. For those that are recommended, the U.S. has rigorous vetting that often takes years. Only a small percentage of those who apply are ever approved to come to the U.S. The majority who are approved are women and children.
It is much easier for an Islamic radical to come to the U.S. on a tourist visa or a student visa. Remember that most of the terrorists in Europe had European passports. Many of the 911 attackers had student visas.
Even with these facts in clear sight, many Americans believe that refugees are a top threat to our national security. Their belief is based on their own logic.
“It’s true because we believe it.”
During the 2016 election season, an unprecedented 16 Republican candidates were in the running for President. Most of them proposed a reduction or halting of refugees from Syria over security concerns. Many evangelical Christians in America align themselves with the Republican Party and began to mimic the concerns of their leaders. This was not limited to Republicans. In 2015 some Democrats in Congress came out publicly against President Obama’s plan to bring in more refugees from Syria. Our innate fear of refugees becomes justified when those we respect communicate those same fears.
“It’s true because I want to believe it.”
Fear is a powerful motivator. The 2005 documentary and subsequent 2015 film, “Our Brand is Crisis” illustrates how fear can be a powerful factor in swaying public opinions (and elections). When fear is our motivator, we can look at the hordes of asylum seekers flooding into Europe and equate them with our very stringent system of screening and selecting only the best candidates for assimilation into the U.S. The fact that the majority of refugees brought into the U.S. over the past 2 years were Christians does not seem to affect opinions. We do not want to be seen as fools. For some, it is better to say “no” to all refugees for fear that there might be a bad apple.
“It’s true because I have always believed it.”
Since September 11, 2001, many American’s have come to the conclusion that “all Muslims are bad people.” This thought might not be spoken, but it is a reality for some. This has been brought up by media critics who notice that mass murderers who are white are labeled “gunmen” and mass murderers who are Middle Eastern are labeled “terrorists.”
“It’s true because it is in my selfish interest to believe it.”
I once heard pastor Bill Hybels compare churches to fitness clubs. When we find one we like, we get angry when January first rolls around and it becomes crowded with newcomers. For many Americans, the idea of having new neighbors whose language, dress, or culture is different from them is not attractive. We see our country changing rapidly and are afraid that refugees will bring more rapid change.
Yet as Christians, we can have a higher perspective. We can be people who look at the facts rather than the fear. We can influence our politicians, rather than being influenced by them. We can encourage our Christian brothers and sisters from Burma and the Congo who are coming as refugees to the U.S. by the thousands. We can share the love and message of Jesus Christ to Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and Atheist refugees who move into our neighborhoods.
Last month, our church baptized a refugee with a Muslim background who had recently come to Christ. I am grateful to serve in a church where our people move beyond egocentric thinking and operate with “kingdom thinking” as they show the love of Jesus to these refugee families.
About the Author
Stu Cocanougher
7 responses to “Egocentric Thinking and Refugees in 2016 America”
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Thank you, Stu. I’m so glad you posted on this!!!!! This topic is very close to home for me. My daughter Angie just returned from Lebanon where she was working with refugees. Now for the last few weeks she has been attending meetings where several of the churches in Salem (OR) are developing programs to work with refugees. She has a lot of experience in this area and is excited that we are doing something for refugees. I know that you do a lot, too. God bless you in your efforts.
Glad to hear churches are leading the way on this. And proud of your daughter, Mary.
Absolutely loved how you tied the Egocentric way of thinking to the issues surrounding refugees in America. It is so true that our fear has caused us to lack wisdom and understanding around the issue. In doing so, we react without thinking it through. Unfortunately this is at the expense of many peoples lives. I truly hope your post enlightens others to see the way we have been thinking and shift towards critically thinking about our policies and laws in this country.
Thank You, Stu for your insight on Egocentric way of thinking. EGOcentric is born out of selfishness or self-centeredness. I love the way you tied your thoughts into the same outline that the authors did. Thank you for bringing to the surface the challenges we face as Christians to love one another. We have a lot of work to do, but I am grateful for those who do.
Stu, Thank you for the sane and clearly presented expression of Biblical truth. Egocentric thinking has been one of the greatest hindrances to the spread of Gospel we have seen in our modern world. God literally brings people to our doors steps and we turn them away or we shun them. How is it possible that the Church of Jesus Christ cannot rise up and say—when no one else will—”We will be the ones to serve and love!?” The greatest expression of Christ’s love is not in what we say, but what we do! Thanks Stu.
Beautiful description of authentic Christianity. Radical acceptance and inclusion of all races and overcoming our egocentric belief system so as to let them in our churches. Such an issue in our churches to get beyond our egocentrism. I once brought my Hispanic friend to my church and no one would engage with her or acknowledge her, despite how many I introduced her to and tried to include her. Later she said to me, “Don’t ever do that to me again.” I understood and was disgusted by how my church friends couldn’t see past her color or care to in order to bring her into the kingdom. How do you handle Christians who treat their church community like a “gym”? What do you suggest being the education process for developing a heart for including and relating to our refugees?
Excellent example of some of the very real consequences of egocentric thinking.
It seems like this example also suffers from sociocentric thinking– our tendency to separate into “us vs. them”. To act as we are expected to act– “if our leaders– political, religious, media, etc.– say this, then we must conform to their thinking to remain a part of this group.” The failure to think historically (refugees have been important creators of America) and anthropologically (refugees are the least, the voiceless). The uncritical tendency to place one’s… nation… above all others.
I’m thankful there are Christians such as your congregation, who refuse to follow this dominate narrative and recognize that the Kingdom of God turns it upside down. Thanks for sharing.