(Bad) analogies to help understand Fowler’s stages of faith

My little stage descriptions were just shorthand to prevent myself from writing paragraphs. When I said “my god is everyone else’s god too” there’s a lot that’s implied with that – that there’s one “correct” god, my god happens to be that correct god, your concept of god isn’t correct, and you have to come around to my interpretation of god to be in god’s good graces.

Here’s another one, an example of where I am firmly in stage 3. Sports team allegiance (at least at the collegiate level).

I want my team to win, I always think that the refs have a bias against my team, and I want to see my team’s rivals to lose every single game they play; even if they are battling a team of space aliens that will destroy the earth if the earth players lose.

Maybe a stage 4 in this context is when I see my rivals get busted for two decades of cheating and not get punished. I then get all bitter and decide that it’s only ever been about the money and not about the competition, I lose love for the sport and become disillusioned… theoretically. *cough* *cough*

I might be more stage 5 when it comes to the pros. I’ll tune into a game without any particular allegiances and just look to be entertained. I’ll celebrate good plays regardless of which side of the ball they occur. The only bad game is a game that’s a blowout in the 1st quarter (and we’re talking quarters here! No hockey, I’m still very stage 3 football).

Honestly I find stages one and two intriguing. I think I’ve got a handle on how I can be stage three and can do a fair job of understanding the stage three perspective. I think I know what it’s like to live in stages 4 and 5 as well. I’m not sure I know how I could will myself back to stages one and two enough to get insights from living in those perspectives.

Life is paradoxical, when you realize you can’t be where you wish you were – the act of allowing yourself to be where you are (and others to be where they are) just may help yourself realize you’re a little farther than you thought you were.

Hey, I like that.

I would add this (my comments in RED)…

Hate to break it to you, but that’s orange. Coming from a stage 3 color labeler.

Interesting how you see color differently than me. In all seriousness…I think I have a color blinded defect inside me…very difficult for me to see the difference between Red, Orange, and Pink (or is that purple) for some shades. They all look reddish to me. But, I’m sure there is a correct answer on what color it is. Just because I say I see it different doesn’t magically make it red, I could be very wrong…all I can say is…that’s how I see it. Having others point out things for me helps me learn better what to call what I see. I have lots to learn. I can’t always trust my eyes.

Heber’s post wrote:

Life is paradoxical, when you realize you can’t be where you wish you were – the act of allowing yourself to be where you are (and others to be where they are) just may help yourself realize you’re a little farther than you thought you were.

Let’s give Orson credit for that…he’s got wise words.

I like the sports analogy.

Some people confuse “Stage 3 Against/Negative/Emotional” with stage 4. Stage 3 can be very angry at authority, and sometimes pick new teams, sometimes have conspiracy theories on who is busted or should be busted and what the NCAA is doing to them, but they are still in the same stage that “my team is better than your team” and “all people think like I do, so I can convince them which team is better because all teams can be evaluated against one system or criteria in a standard way”. It is a stage of “right” and “wrong” in too simplistic of a way.

Stage 4 is seeing that some people like fixing cars with their hands, and really have no interest in watching or playing sports. I don’t know how that is possible…sports is all my family talked about. What else is there to talk about if not sports? When those realizations hit home…a whole new view opens up to question so many things never thought of before. And likely the emotional reaction…not at the sports team or the NCAA probing for violations, but more at mom and dad for putting so much emphasis on something like sports that is so meaningless. There is a whole slew of people out there that could care less about BYU vs Utah football…I mean, it literally means nothing to more people than those that take meaning in it. It generates some feelings about being a little betrayed for not being taught to see it more broadly (when in fact … it is just the individual that is developing to see it…not the fault of the parents or others on explaining it differently).

Responsibility for making decisions about one’s goals and values, previously invested in others, is now taken into oneself. A demythologizing stage; symbols are translated into conceptual meanings.

Stage 5 likes the sports for the rivalry and the fun it generates, and team allegiance is restored (perhaps with a little temperance knowing it doesn’t really matter). But there is equal fun in generating interest in fixing cars, and other equally valuable things in life beyond sports. There is fun in talking sports with those that get into that kind of thing, and there is fun and interest outside of sports. I love my family at Thanksgiving for debating sports, and I love my spouse’s family that talks about cars. I try to educate myself on both so I can talk to them all.

That’s my view with more sentences than your brief summary which was saying similar stuff.