Part 40. Groupthink.

Hello again. Do you stand out from the crowd?  Do you feel the need to belong? Do you desire to conform to the extent that you suppress anything which might lead you or others to doubt you belong? Your answer depends on the context or the importance you place on a particular topic or circumstance.

Consider faith in the context of membership of a church. You join, like the people and concur with the theology. You are accepted, you belong. However  over time you begin to have doubts about the teaching of your church on some issues. So, what to do? Sit tight and say or do nothing? Or do you make your concerns known?  Do you weigh up the consequences of this? 

Consider the above in the context of full inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals in the life of the church. Do you follow slavishly the teaching of the church and become a church groupie, accept groupthink and reject all consideration of full inclusion issues? In other words bury your head in the sand and parrot what you have been told by the gatekeepers.

However should you have doubts what then?  Just keep quiet?  Or do you articulate your concerns in full knowledge of the risk of disciplinary proceedings, cold-shouldering or exclusion?  Speaking out against the norm is attended by risk whatever the group you belong to or support.

 The current controversy over full inclusion within The Salvation Army is a classic example. Both sides of the argument are in  entrenched theological positions and discourse between the two has soured in social media exchanges. It could turn very nasty. The Army's leadership has to take a grip,  otherwise permanent damage will be done to the Army and individuals. Sadly the hallmarks of groupthink exist on both sides and it is distasteful but understandable.