The Power of "Feels"

I'm using the term "feels" as a noun here. Let me explain it. We have two basic methods of making choices. One is reasoning and the other is feeling. In today's world the latter is supreme. I can't tell you how many times I've heard, "Go with your heart; your brain just messes things up" or something like it. And given the sharp rise in the exchange of "feel" for "think" in our everyday communication, I think it's abundantly clear. I mean, when an engineer tells me, "I feel like this circuit should produce that outcome," clearly thinking has been subordinated. So, it's not quite "feelings" I'm talking about. It's that deeper, decision-making process we use to come to choices and conclusions that is not reason. Those are our "feels." And, today, "feels" are lord and master.

Think about it. (Can I say that?) Under modernism, science was master. The question was "Is it true?" We would test and examine and look at the facts. Well, modernism is dead -- long live post-modernism. In this one, facts are what you make them (and they laughed at the Trump administration for coining "alternative truth"). "Feels" trumps "reason." So we determine what is right and wrong, good and bad, wise and foolish by "feels." We always understood, for instance, that marriage was the union of a man and a woman. Yes, but what about a mixed-race man and woman? We muddled about on that for a while, but, "Yes!" we finally concluded because a man of any race is a man and a woman of any race is a woman. Notice ... no "feels." Now, however, we've pushed that away. What about a man and a man? You see, that falls outside the definition of "marriage," but it feels like "love is love" (as long as you don't think that through), so we've said, "Yes! Any two people can marry." So, what about three? No! No way, no how! What? Why? Because it violates our "feels." It doesn't feel right. What about four or five? Absolutely not! It doesn't feel right. What if he wants to marry his dog or she wants to marry the Eiffel Tower? No, no, and no! That's crazy! Why? Because our "feels" have arbitrarily determined that "two" is okay (as long as it's two humans), but nothing else. Well, at least, until we say so. Hang on ... our "feels" are changing all the time. Just an example, of course. You can apply it to all sorts of new "right and wrong" evaluations where people in power have "feels" that are creating rules and regulations that force you not to think, but to follow. The power of "feels."

Christians aren't supposed to operate on "feels." We're not supposed to be our own standard. We're not supposed to impose our own standard of our "feels" on others. We're supposed to operate on the standard given by the Almighty, the Creator. We believe that He is always right and always best and to go any other way would be wrong, bad, foolish. So, Christian, which way are you going? Do you have a higher measure than your "feels"? Do you even know what God's standards are? You might need to be clear on that, because, these days, going against other people's "feels" can become painful and costly. And you will have to take that into account.