The National Institute of Mental Health defines psychosis as “a collection of symptoms that affect the mind, where there has been some loss of contact with reality.” The psychotic symptoms can be episodic, or one can suffer a psychotic break where all connection with reality is lost.
Our nation is suffering a social psychosis where many Americans have lost healthy connection with reality. And tragically, religion and politics have been more a part of the illness than the cure.
Francis Collins wrote a piece in The New York Times recently that helps us traverse our national psychosis. Collins is the physician and scientist who led the U.S. component of the Human Genome Project and has served as director of the National Institutes of Health under Presidents Obama, Trump and Biden. He also is an ardent evangelical Christian.
Stephen Shoemaker
In his article, “Take It from A Scientist. Facts Don’t Care How You Feel,” he addresses the need “to re-anchor our troubled nation to truth, science, faith and trust.” He recalls in striking detail the triumphs and tragedy of our nation’s response to the COVID pandemic. On the one hand was one of the greatest medical achievements of our time: Operation Warp Speed. In a matter of months, by November 2020, two almost 100% effective vaccines were developed, far beyond the best hopes of Collins and Tony Fauci. The Commonwealth Fund estimates the vaccines saved more than 3 million lives between December 2020 and November 2022.
Yet tragically, more than 50 million Americans declined vaccinations. The two greatest forces of resistance to the vaccine were political party and, to Collins’ dismay, identificaiton as a white evangelical Christian.
A barrage of medical misinformation and wild conspiracy theories doomed many to their deaths. The most heartbreaking statistic for Collins was that 230,000 Americans died unnecessarily between June 2021 and March 2022.
He wrote: “We are in serious trouble when some believe that their faith requires them to distrust science or when others believe that political alliances are a better source of wisdom than truth, faith and science.”
“We are in serious trouble when some believe that their faith requires them to distrust science.”
He makes the same case as it applies to global warming.
Collins draws a set of concentric circles about various levels of truth: from the innermost circle of “necessary truth,” as in mathematics and physics, to firmly established facts, such as the earth circling the sun, to well-documented historical events, like Neil Armstrong walking on the moon or the two planes that crashed into the Trade Towers. Then there is the realm of uncertainty where we don’t yet know the facts conclusively. Then finally to the outer circle of subjective opinion. It is easy to see all the distortions that have come as people have blurred and misused the categories. Phrases like “alternate facts,” “ truth is relative” and shouts of “fake news” undermine our confidence in truth itself.
So what is Collins’ prescription for our national psychosis? The first step is to get our mental health in order — that is, to live by the principle “there is such a thing as truth and truth really matters” — then to make sure your established facts are really established facts.
The second is to move from our current divisiveness to an era of empathy and understanding that includes having conversations with people very different from ourselves.
The third is to join with bridge-building organizations like Braver Angels, of which he is a part.
And the fourth is to work for changes in our political realm where people and groups have lost their commitment to truth, compromise and civility.
Faith comes for him in the wisdom that our faith tradition teaches us about fundamental values and asks ultimate questions. I think it also comes in the hope and determinism that changes can be made to repair our social fabric. Will the church rise to the challenges of the day?
In his new book, The Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith and Trust, there is a pledge Collins offers us to sign. It also may be found on the Braver Angels website.
Here it is:
I pledge that from this day forward I will seek to be a part of the solution to our society’s widespread divisiveness, which is hurting individuals, families, communities, our nation, and our world.
I will actively seek out opportunities to engage in dialogue with those who have different views from mine; by respectful listening, I will strive to understand their perspectives better, to identify our shared deeper values, and to build a bridge across the gap that has divided us.
When sifting incoming information, I will seek to be a wise consumer. Taking into account my own biases, I will carefully assess the plausibility of the claim as well as the integrity, competence and humility of the source, in order to decide whether the information is likely to be trustworthy.
I will resist the temptation to speak about, write about or share on social media information that claims to be true but is of uncertain validity.
I will bring a generous spirit to all my interpersonal interactions, refusing to ascribe evil intentions to others simply because of different political or societal beliefs. I will be slow to take offense. Loving my neighbor will be my goal.
The church can be a crucial part of the repair of our society and of the nation’s re-anchoring in its commitment to truth, science, faith and trust. Last year, I preached a sermon on science and our search for truth. It was the first time I ever preached on science in my 50 years of preaching!
The congregation was glad for the sermon.They never had heard a sermon on science either. Perhaps we need to take time in church to talk about such things. Dr. Collins would be a good guide.
Stephen Shoemaker serves as pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Statesville, N.C. He served previously as pastor of Myers Park Baptist in Charlotte, N.C.; Broadway Baptist in Fort Worth, Texas; and Crescent Hill Baptist in Louisville, Ky.