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PASTORAL PSYCHOLOGY
were based on a logical fallacy. They have argued from origin
to value, from the cause of a matter to its quality.
Professor Alf. Nyman?! of Sweden writes: ‘From the known
dubious or insignificant origin of a certain custom, dogma or
institution, the conclusion is derived that in its later, developed
state the value of the custom, dogma or institution is also
dubious. Ifthe origin is low, everything is low. If the beginning
is embarrassing, the end will also be embarrassing.’
This same process of reasoning has been used in the criticism
of religion, too. By speculation about its origins it is argued that
valid conclusions can be drawn concerning its value.
Enough has been said to show how many pitfalls await the
man or woman who allows his thinking about religion to be
controlled by desire or prejudice. We must not conclude this
section, however, without also drawing attention to the dangers
of false idealism and self-identification with self-appointed
leaders or prophets.
There is in most of us a certain quality of mental and spiritual
inertia that can cause us to revolt against the obligation to do
our own thinking and act on our own responsibility. Especially
when a society or civilisation is confronted with grave problems
and dilemmas too big for the individual to understand clearly,
let alone solve, this inertia provides a strong incentive to throw
up the sponge altogether, and resolve inward tensions by
surrendering our wills to someone upon whom, thereafter, we can
throw all responsibility for our behaviour and its consequences.
In such circumstances there is seldom any lack of men
moved by an insatiable will-to-power who will accept our
submission in order to use us as the instruments of their own
purposes. Posing as leaders and saviours of the people, these
persons can win such a strong influence over the masses that
they will follow them blindly, ceasing almost completely to
reflect on their actions. They acknowledge the leader’s absolute
authority. They identify themselves with his ideas; and not
seldom, the less rational these ideas are the more enthusiasm
they evoke; probably because the followers allow their idealism
to drown common sense and take comfort from the hope that
the power of the leader will work magic and cause to happen
what they want to happen just because they want it.
1 Tankefel och tankevillor, Lund, 1941.
130
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