We are good at pointing out the utter absurdity of ideologies opposed to our very true and righteous ideals. We, of course, have the right ideals and that other side is, well, obviously wrong.

This is the condition in which we find ourselves consistently.

In the Church or in politics, what seriously lacks is self reflection. Conservatives or progressives, it doesn’t matter. We are right. They are wrong… and they are very wrong. They are not worth hearing.

David French has a recent column doing some of his own self reflection. He had been a part of the Republican machine and had done some work to help get Mitt Romney nominated in 2012. One of the constant mantras was “the polls were wrong” when they constantly showed Romney trailing Obama leading up to the election. Their “internal polling” was trying to “correct” national polls and they actually thought they were going to win even on election night.

For French, it caused something in him that hasn’t occurred to hardly anyone else since: self-reflection. He reflects on the hard right and hard left political landscape and the refusal to admit mistakes… or admit facts in many cases.

The wings aren’t changing each other’s minds — hard-core Democrats aren’t going to persuade hard-core Republicans — but they’re also not reaching sufficient numbers of persuadable voters to break America’s partisan deadlock.

Even worse, partisans don’t realize they’re part of the problem. Their zeal isn’t persuasive; it’s alienating, and the examples above help illustrate why.

We aren’t into persuasion. We are into our own “rightness” and grousing about the other side’s “wrongness.”

This is what it often comes down to:

We become so emotionally and spiritually invested in the outcome of a political contest that we can inadvertently become disconnected from reality.

To put it another way: Our heart connects with our mind in such a way that the heart demands that the mind conform to its deepest desires. When a partisan encounters negative information, it can often trigger the emotional equivalent of a fight-or-flight response. This applies not just to negative arguments but also to negative facts. To deal with the emotional response, we seek different arguments and alternative facts.

This isn’t just politics. It can be observed in the American church as well. It doesn’t matter the denominational/theological stripe. There is a need to double down on whatever it is that is happening and instead of going into self-reflection or repentance, a church or group of churches will hunker down and start claiming any number of “alternative facts.”

“It’s a spiritual attack.”

“It is the woke culture invading our church.”

“It’s because they believe __________ but we hold to the true faith and believe _________.”

French offers some “simple” solutions:

George Orwell famously wrote that “to see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.” We can’t simply tut-tut against the pernicious effects of pure partisanship; we have to struggle against it, including within ourselves. I have some rules to help temper my worst partisan impulses. Among them: Expose yourself to the best of the other side’s point of view — including the best essays, podcasts and books. Also, when you encounter a new idea, learn about it from its proponents before you read its opponents.

And when you encounter bad news about a cause that you hold dear — whether it’s a presidential campaign, an international conflict or even a claim against a person you admire, take a close and careful look at the evidence. Your opponent may be right, your friend may be wrong, and your emotions will often lead you astray.

We need less belligerence and more self reflection, even when it seems like an impossible mountain to climb.