13. Ideologieë
‘n Ideologie kan ligweg beskryf word as ‘n stel voorkeure en denkwyses, hoofsaaklik op ekonomiese, kulturele, politieke en religieuse gebied. Ideologieë is geneig om denke te oorheers en hulle eie beginsels te ontwikkel. Dit voorsien mettertyd die riglyne vir die aanhangers se lewe. Voorbeelde is sosialisme, kapitalisme, nasionalisme, patriotisme, liberalisme en marxisme. Daar is ook oorvleueling tussen sekere ideologieë. Patriotisme en nasionalisme loop byvoorbeeld dikwels hand aan hand. Maar dit is ‘n komplekse onderwerp. Mense se uitsprake word soms oorinterpreteer en dan word hulle te maklik as aanhangers van ‘n ideologie bestempel.
Iemand wat aan ‘n vryemarkstelsel glo is nie noodwendig ‘n kapitalis nie. ‘n Kapitalis is eerder iemand wat glo aan ‘n survival-of-the-fittest ekonomie, met geen of absolute minimum staatsinmenging en met die ruimte om vir sy eie gewin alle kompetisie uit die weg te probeer ruim. Eiebelang staan voorop.
Net so ‘n persoon wat lief is vir sy land. Hy is nie noodwendig ‘n aanhanger van patriotisme nie. Patriotisme is ‘n oordrewe weergawe van vaderlandsliefde waar die vaderland verabsoluteer word en dit van ander mense verwag word om dieselfde waarde daaraan te heg.
Politieke kommentators word soms as kommuniste, liberaliste of nasionaliste uitgekryt bloot omdat hulle bepaalde standpunte kritiseer of ondersteun.
Is ideologieë onchristelik? ‘n Ware ideologie se beginsels en denkwyses kan nie maklik aan Bybelse riglyne voldoen nie. Daarom is die antwoord, “ja, waarskynlik”. Maar dit is makliker om sekere ideologieë as onchristelik uit te ken as ander. Die moeiliker gevalle is waar ‘n ideologie hom tot ‘n mate in die gelowige gemeenskap kom tuismaak het. Die Bybelse beginsel wat ons in ‘n wêreldse omgewing moet nastreef is om in harmonie met mekaar en die wêreld te leef. Om bewus te wees van die balk in die eie oog. As ons spesifieke wêreldse sienings verhef en verabsoluteer dan neig dit na eiebelang en skade aan die belange van ander en dit beïnvloed ons gesindheid teenoor ander.
Om oor na te dink: Kies ‘n ideologie en beskryf sy eienskappe. In wie se belang is dit? Kan ‘n gelowige daardeur op ‘n dwaalspoor verlei word? Is daar ‘n verskil tussen onmin tussen volke en onmin tussen individue? Kan ‘n persoon se liefde vir sy volk ooit verskonend of versagtend werk? Hoe verklaar ons dit dat iemand wat in sy onmiddelike omgewing na ander uitreik en baie goed doen, maar nie wroeg oor die skade en geweld wat een groep mense teenoor ‘n ander pleeg nie? Byvoorbeeld oorlogsituasies waar die ander party se mense, burgerlikes inkluis, gedood en hulle lewens verwoes word. En wat sê ons vandag van slawerny?
13. Ideologies
An ideology can be loosely described as a set of preferences and ways of thinking, mainly in the economic, cultural, political, and religious spheres. Ideologies tend to dominate thought and develop their own principles. Over time they provide the guidelines for their adherents’ lives. Examples include socialism, capitalism, nationalism, patriotism, liberalism, and Marxism. There is also overlap between certain ideologies. Patriotism and nationalism, for example, often go hand in hand. But this is a complex subject. People’s statements are sometimes over-interpreted and then they are too easily labelled as adherents of an ideology.
Someone who believes in a free market system is not necessarily a capitalist. A capitalist is rather someone who believes in a survival-of-the-fittest economy, with no or absolute minimum state intervention and with the freedom to try to eliminate all competition for personal gain. Self-interest comes first.
Similarly, a person who loves his country is not necessarily an adherent of patriotism. Patriotism is an exaggerated form of love of country where the fatherland is absolutised and others are expected to attach the same value to it.
Political commentators are sometimes branded as communists, liberals, or nationalists simply because they criticise or support certain positions.
Are ideologies unchristian? A true ideology’s principles and ways of thinking cannot easily comply with biblical guidelines. Therefore the answer is, “yes, probably.” But it is easier to identify certain ideologies as unchristian than others. The more difficult cases are where an ideology has to some degree made itself at home in the believing community. The biblical principle we must pursue in a worldly environment is to live in harmony with one another and the world. To be aware of the plank in one’s own eye. If we elevate and absolutise specific worldly views, it tends towards self-interest and harm to others’ interests, and it affects our attitude towards others.
Something to reflect on: Choose an ideology and describe its characteristics. In whose interest is it? Can a believer be led astray by it? Is there a difference between conflict between peoples and conflict between individuals? Can a person’s love for their people ever serve as an excuse or mitigating factor? How do we explain that someone who reaches out to others in their immediate environment and does much good, yet does not agonise over the damage and violence that one group of people inflicts on another? For example, war situations where the other party’s people, civilians included, are killed and their lives destroyed. And what do we say today about slavery?