An idea, as defined by Oxford Dictionary, is a plan, thought, or suggestion, especially about what to do in a particular situation. By extension then, an ideology is any wide-ranging system of beliefs, ways of thought, and categories that provide the foundation of programmes of political and social action: an ideology is a conceptual scheme with a practical application.
What is our ideology? In some circles, ideology is abhorrent- it is to be avoided at all costs. The problem with that is, we all adhere to at least some form of ideology. The question then becomes, once we have been intellectually honest, where does our ideology come from?
I cannot begin to surmise where each of our ideologies come from. Some it will be Scripture. Some it will be Marx. Some Locke. Some Voltaire. Some, sadly, it will be CNN. The honest answer is that there is a mixture of sources for what we believe and how we go about making decisions. The challenge is, then, to use sources that are trust worthy and offer truth. This can only be done when we see that ideas are gold. Gold is precious. Gold has been valuable since the beginning of time, yes before the American dollar. To get to the source of the gold, we must admit a few things.
We first must acknowledge that ideas are bigger than people. Ideas cannot be taken. They cannot be stolen from anyone; they must be given up. They are a free-will offering. Now, I know that some Calvinists will be upset with me in saying those words, but it gets to the route of it: ideas are bigger than the people that propose the ideas. Our founders were highly imperfect people, but they were seriously intelligent. The idea of self-government though, ah, that was gold. At the time of our founding, it was generally unheard of. The United States of America was a culmination of religious AND enlightenment thought. You may hear that it is impossible to join the two, but look closer at the evidence: our founding joined the two together.
We must then understand that what forms our ideas matter. Do we use the brightest minds and, most certainly, divine minds to formulate our ideas? Or do we use click bait and garbage? As the saying goes, "Garbage in, garbage out." Do we look for opinions that may differ from ours or do we just look for people who agree? Are we "Honey Boo Boo-ing" our minds or are we trying to look deeper for more meaning? It matters. Listen to these words: it matters. Our culture, our society, cannot not survive on whims and instant gratification. It cannot.
What do we read, what do we listen to, what do we consume? What ever that is, it is what formulates our ideas. That is what constructs our beliefs and that is what dictates our actions. Turn off MSNBC, CNN, and FoxNews and read. Listen to people who truly care, not just those who are projecting mind vomit for money.
May God bless you and your family.
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