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Divided opinions Eva McIntyre
was listening to the radio the other day, as a hearing, on engaging with a different argument, on being
woman who’d phoned in to the show talked challenged by the fact that someone else doesn’t agree with
I about why she wasn’t sure about having us. Of course, it’s not just in the Church this challenge
a Covid vaccination. She was worried that arises, it’s in all human interaction, but we do have an extra
requirement placed upon us to try to do our listening,
the process had been rushed, and it couldn’t talking, disagreeing and changing of minds, well. After all, Photo Credit: Roman Lacheev/Alamy Stock Photo
possibly be safe when medical trials normally in St John’s Gospel, Jesus prays that very long prayer asking
took so long. that his followers be united.
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The presenter responded with information It’s extremely difficult to do because we’re human
previously given by an expert in the field who beings, and we have the added challenge of managing the
had been on the show. He explained that the requirements of our faith, alongside the expectations of
society, while working out where history, tradition and
speed of the trials, and the production of the interpretation fit along the way. So we can perhaps be a
vaccine had been possible because of the vast little kinder to ourselves, and each other, when we fail to
investment made, and that this had provided juggle all these elements and sometimes get it a bit wrong.
more facilities, scientists and practitioners to We’re never going to all agree on everything, be it theology
accelerate the trials and get these vaccines ready or liturgical practice, and the Church would be a rather dull
in record time. community if we did.
He made these points, clearly, simply and Conservative or liberal?
briefly. Yet when he asked her whether this The psychologist, Dr Jonathan Haidt, has spent many
information reassured her at all, the woman only years looking at what makes us tick in terms of our values
faltered briefly before returning to her argument and priorities, and how we apply them. In his book The
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that the production and trials had been rushed Righteous Mind he describes two different approaches to
and couldn’t possibly be ready and safe in such life: he calls these groups liberals and conservatives.
He’s not using this in a party political way but in a
a short time. It was as if she hadn’t heard a word more general manner that shows how the tendency of our
the presenter had said. personalities directs us to prioritise some values over others,
be these justice or sanctity, loyalty or honesty, and so on.
I’m sharing this story with you because it holds some keys The terms ‘conservative’ and ‘liberal’ are familiar in the
to the problems we so often have in Church life, when Church, and some choose to identify with one or other of
it comes to agreeing and disagreeing: on listening and them. Others find themselves on a scale between the two.
8 The Plain Truth Spring 2021 Find us online at www.plain-truth.org.uk
