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Rising Above Bias: How to Challenge Discrimination and Embrace Genuine Faith

John Sloan
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Here’s a summary of this week’s sermon:

  • John Sloan discusses Acts 7:1-50, which tells the story of Stephen, a man filled with wisdom and faith, who was charged with blasphemy by the Jewish leaders for introducing new perspectives on their religious worldviews. The talk draws a parallel between Stephen's story and the modern-day issues of bias, self-righteousness, and emotional reactions shaping our views and beliefs.

  • We examine psychological concepts such as moral intuitions (the inherent sense of what's right and wrong) to explain the biases and the emotional reactions that can influence our interpretation of truth. He references psychologist Jonathan Haidt, who identifies six moral intuitions: care, fairness, group loyalty, authority/respect, sanctity/purity, and liberty. Sloan suggests that people often judge situations based on a few of these intuitions, leading to misunderstandings and conflict with others who use a different set of intuitions.

  • The talk challenges Christians, asking them to consider whether their opinions are truly based on the word of God, or if they are coloured by their personal biases and emotions. John urges Christians to strive for integrity by continuously questioning their prejudices and aligning their views with God's teachings rather than their own preconceived notions. He advocates for a broad perspective that transcends narrow worldviews, emphasizing the importance of serving God over personal biases.

💬 CONVERSATION STREET --

Matt + Dionne discuss:

  • As Christians, are we immune from bias? 

  • Why do we, as Christians, get easily outraged? What can we do about it?

  • “We judge others by their actions but ourselves by our intentions.” True or False?

  • Does Satan care about our morals as he does our faith?

  • How do you deal with bias in your own life?

  • Do our biases always mean that there’s something wrong with us? How can we overcome it?

RECENT EPISODES

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RECENT LIVESTREAMS

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More from this series

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