Politics, Religion, and the Brain
Rev. Ted Tollefson
©October 19, 2008 @ UU Society of River Falls
1. An Enlightenment Faith
Liberal politics and liberal religion come from the same source: the Enlightenment. The Founders of the American republic (Washington, Adams, Jefferson,
Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, Tom Paine) were Deists-Unitarians and
Masons. They brought the same ideas about the "free mind" to their
politics and religion. Drawing upon the key figures of the
European Enlightenment (Locke, Newton, Mill) and earlier philosophical
Idealists (Decartes, Plato), they identified the core of their
enlightened humanity with the rational mind. The rational
mind, they said, allows us to detect the Laws of Nature which are the
"dark hidden speech of God" (Newton). The rational
mind is separate from the body and must be kept separate from bodily
passions. In politics, this meant that good citizens use their rational
minds, not their passions, to decide how they would vote. In religion, this meant that self-reliant individuals use their
rational minds, not their passions, to test and refine their religious
beliefs. Many of us who have devoted much of our lives to learning and
teaching may live by the same assumptions. We want "reason
and facts" not smoke and mirrors. We distrust politicians and
evangelists that profane the temple of reason with appeals to emotions,
positive or negative.
There's just one problem with this Enlightenment view of the rational mind in politics and religion: it may not be true!
Several recents books and almost 30 years of clinical research suggests
that our minds or brains don't work this way. By using
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI: push the button and say good-bye to
several thousand dollars), we can take "snap-shots" of the human brain
operating in real time. From these studies, a very
different picture of the brain/mind is emerging. The brain is never
separated from the body. If you doubt this, remember what your
world looks like with a body temperature of over 102* or with
hang-over. For most of us, thinking---feeling----imagining
go on simultaneously. The old 3 or 4 part model of the
brain is being replaced with more diffuse and precisely measured
"neural networks". Multiple studies by Drew Westen and his
colleagues suggest that very few people make political decisions
rationally. By carefully separating cognitive
responses (agree/disagree with ideas; ideas are true/false;
ethical/non-ethical) from emotional reponses (like/dislike, trust/don't
trust; like me/unlike me), a frightening picture emerges. No more
than 3% of future political decisions can be predicted by rational
factors alone! Up to 80% of decisions can be predicted by
emotional factors! Perhaps the reason why so many liberal
candidates (Carter, Mondale, Dukakis, Gore, Kerry) lose elections is
they are loyal to an aniquated model of the brain, using the
wrong kind of language, to speak to the part part of the brain that is NOT the 'Deicider'.
2. Two Scary Examples
Do you remember the Mondale/Reagan debates of 1984? I
watched carefully and took notes as Mondale scored points by debunking
Reagan's pet ideas. When Reagan's turn came, he looked into
the camera and told a story. "I remember," he said,"being a young
man who set out from Dixon Illinois with $5 in his pocket and hope in
his heart". After a minute or so, I wasn't keeping score
anymore. I was sitting in the passenger seat next to Ron, feeling
the wind blow through my hair. Fact-checking gave way to a
powerful story about youthful optimism. What most people
remember from presidential debates is not the arguements, but the
stories. Not the statistics, but the body
language. Reagan had an actor's relationship to the truth,
but he looked at ease with himself and his body. His confidence
was contagious. Fritz Mondale had a sharp tongue and forgot to
smile. Reagan won the election by a landslide
confirming what Drew Westen and George Lakoff have said: stories are exquisitely suited to match the complexity of our neural networks.
That's why Reagan's racist story about a "Welfare Queen" stuck in the
craw of some many working class voters even though it wasn't
true. In politics, it's always story-time.
Several years ago I was standing outside a Unitarian congregation I had
served for many years, watching rivers of good Catholics march up the
hill to attend the "big church". I lamented to one of
my friends saying "I don't get it. Their cosmology is
archaic; their ritual medieval. Why do they draw such so many
people to a religion that's pre-modern?" My colleague,
who'd grown up Catholic said, "maybe they don't want a religion that
requires critical thinnking and all those books you want us to read
....maybe they just want to participate in a ritual that's as
comfortable as a old sweater...and hear a story that makes them feel
that their difficult lives have a purpose". Then he added a
question which I entrust to you as a take-home project: "What kind of story do we have that could compete with the stories of Christmas and Easter?"
3. Five Suggestions for Liberal Politics and Religion
Unitarians don't offer commandments, we prefer 'suggestions'. So
in that spirit of shared inquiry, I offer 5 suggestions for those of us
who care about liberal politics and liberal religion. Many
of these are drawn from the writings of Drew Westen and George Lakoff,
others are inspired by Robert Orstein's research on consciousness and
the brain.
Let's talk to the whole mind, not just our favorite part.
A story and a few facts are better than just 'reason and
facts'. For example, Minneapolis is not just the "first
western city", it is "where the woods meets and prairie and a river
runs through it".
Let's talk like we live in and through our bodies.
If you doubt the power of non-verbal messages, turn off the sound of a
recent or historic debate and watch the body language. Usually
the candidate who looks more relaxed and congruent wins; the one who
looks conflicted, uptight or awkward loses. Remember
Kennedy and Nixon? Reagan and Mondale? Bush and
Gore?
Use images and metaphors that carry an emotional charge.
Few people remember which candidates will cut taxes by what
percentage. But we do remember how taxes are framed: is taxing
the rich "simple justice" or "socialism"? If a "rising tide
lifts all boats" (Kennedy), what happens to those who don't have a boat?
Synchronize body/words heart/head.
If you don't smile occasionally, or rarely laugh at yourself, who would
want to elect you for four years? If can't make
eye-contact with your opponent or shake hands with him/her, how can you
pretend to "reach across the isle" to build bi-partisan coalitions?
Know the Context and stay atuned to it.
When the isssue on the table is war, Red candidates tend to
win. When the issue on the table is the economy, Blue
candidates tend to win. Heaven help the Red candidate who
focuses on the economy or the Blue candidate who focuses on war.
4. The Politics and Religion of Hope
I want to conclude by taking my own advice, which is always challenging
for a preacher and teacher. I offer an image and a story that
convey some of the core of our liberal faith that speak to our whole
heart-body-mind.
A. A Parable in Red,White and Blue
More than one political candidate this year, have gone out of their way
to divide the United States into "pro-American" states and
"anti-American states". Others have suggested that members of the
other party may be "anti-American" or harbor "anti-American"
ideas. Last time I looked, the American flag was composed
of three colors: Red, White and Blue. If you take away one
of these colors, it no longer is the flag of the United States of
America. The red stripes and the republican party reminds
us a of partial truth. We are responsible for who we are, we shape our lives by our choices.
We are called by Reagan and the Libertarians to be
"self-reliant". The blue field and the democratic party
remind us of another partial truth. We are responsible to
and for one another. We are called by Martin Luther King and the
Communitarians to "care for one another". Connecting the red and blue
truths are white stripes and white stars. The white stars and
stripes might remind us of independent voters and the possibility of
creating a civil society where people of good will can hold differing
views and still respect one another.
B. The Little Engine that Could (revised version)
Do you remember the story of the Little Engine that Could? Once upon a
time there was a train loaded with toys for the good girls and boys who
lived on the far side of the mountain. But the train broke down and sat
on a side line hoping for help. In a few hours, the Lexus Limited
rolled by with polished brass trim and a large engine. When
the clowns and dolls asked for help, the passengers on the Lexus
Express turned thumbs down and mocked the little train for not getting
regular maintenance checks.
The dolls and clows grew quite sad, fearing that they might never get
to the far side of the mountain. Then the Blackwater Express came
thundering down the tracks with its windows blacked out and gun turrets
front and aft. When the clowns and dolls pleaded for help, it
just sped up like a black comet shooting over the mountain. The
clowns and dolls were very sad: would no one help them?
The next morning, a little train came by that had never been to the far
side of the mountain. It wasn't fancy or fast, but quietly
determined. When it saw the sad clowns and weeping dolls, it
slowed down, stopped and listened. Even though it
hadn't made the journey before it offered to help. Soon a long train
with the little engine in front was chugging up the mountain. And
you know what it said: "I think I can! I think I
can" and all the clowns and dolls joined in chanting "I think I can! I think I can".
And though the journey was long and difficult with many curves and
bumps the two trains made it to the top of the mountain and as they
coasted down they sang together "I thought I could! I thought I could".
That's a story about the surprising power of our liberal faith that
joins courage and compassion in the service of hope. Several people
have asked how I intend to vote. I always vote for the same
candidate, though it may come in a variety of colors. I
always vote for Hope. My liberal politics and my liberal
religion tells me that hope is stronger than fear, that love is
mightier than hate.
An audacious hope led to the founding of the America republic.
A brave hope beckoned many of our ancestors to these shores.
A liberating hope broke the shackles of slavery.
And a red-white-and-blue hope calls us to fulfill the promise that is America.
Roosevelt and Reagan were both right:
our best days are still before us.
It's morning in America.
Books too Good to Miss
1. Revolutionary Spirits: The Enightened Faith of our Founders, Gary Kowalski.
2. The Political Brain, Drew Westen.
3. The Politcal Mind, George Lakoff.
Blessed are the peace-makers.