Irrational Belief Addressing Each Irrational

Irrational Belief

Addressing each irrational belief, locate and identify additional Scripture that would be a scriptural response or answer. You may need to make additional comments with your supportive Scripture.

Necessary to be approved of by everyone including parents, teachers, neighbors, and all their peers.

It is not necessary to be approved by everyone, and in fact it is impossible. Instead, seek to develop inner strength and confidence. 2 Timothy 2:15: "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."

One should be thoroughly competent, adequate, and achieving.

The mindless pursuit of mundane achievement is spiritually unfulfilling. Ecclesiastes 2:11: "Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun."

Certain people are bad or wicked simply because they are different and should be punished for their differences.

Differences are not a sign of wickedness, and no one should be punished just because they are different as long as they are not hurting anyone. 1 Corinthians 11:19. "No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval."

4. It is awful or catastrophic when things are not exactly the way one wants them to be.

We can't always get what we want, and it is better to accept things as they are. Job 17:11: "My days have passed, my plans are shattered, and so are the desires of my heart." Job laments his condition before realizing the spiritual lesson to be learned from not getting exactly what one wants.

5. They should worry about other peoples' problems.

It is better to take care of one's own affairs than to meddle in the affairs of others. 1 Timothy 5:13: "Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to."

6. Happiness is externally controlled and people have little or no ability to control the things which bring them joy or cause them sorrow.

Finding inner peace is the key to happiness. Happiness does not depend on external affairs but on one's spiritual state of mind. Matthew 11:29-30: "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

7. Any attempt to equal the achievements of my peers is out of the question

Although we can use others as a source of positive motivation, it is futile to base our success on what other people achieve. Ecclesiastes 4:4: "And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind."

8. Everything in life is a win-lose perspective.

Always play on level ground with peers. Each situation can be a win-win one when we respect other people. Philippians 2:3: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."

9. People who believe differently are viewed as having moral inferiority's rather than merely differences in behavior.

People of different persuasions whether religious or behavioral are not morally inferior. Unfortunately even Jesus wanted to kill any non-believers. Luke 19:27: "But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them -- bring them here and kill them in front of me."

10. One has the right to be free from discomfort and to glide through life with only minimum frustration.

Suffering is a part of life; however, there is always relief from suffering via spiritual pursuits. Job 36:15: "But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction."

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Find one example of each misperception. Examples could be news stories, journal articles, studies, human interest stories, etc.

1. Over interpretation of superficial signs of non-conformity

Weiner, J. "This is So on: M.I.A. Vs. Lady Gaga." Vanity Fair. April 7, 2010. Retrieved April 8, 2010 from http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2010/04/this-is-so-on-mia-vs.-lady-gaga.html

In this article, the author over-interprets Lady Gaga based on her style and music videos alone, without interviewing the artist herself.

2. Mass media sensationalism

Any glance at the cover of People magazine will demonstrate the extent of mass media sensationalism that grips the consumer public: http://www.people.com/people/

3. Generalization from samples of deviant adolescents

Cyberbullying may be blown out of proportion: http://news.cnet.com/8301-19518_3-20001982-238.html

4. Over-emphasis on the biological determination of heterosexual behavior