TheSealing website is the result of 35 years of commitment into sorting through and unraveling the complexity of the world in which we live from my limited perspective. There are multiple contradictions that exist in our world which cause personal stress. There is however, a condition that exists in our minds which can cause a normally emotionally healthy person to fall into the depths of despair – that state or condition is termed Cognitive Dissonance.
Anything that shakes a persons world after a lifetime of believing something with all your heart is devastating to many. The greater the belief, the greater the dissonance in ones mind. A good discussion on Cognitive Dissonance from a religious perspective is fount at http://www.thereligiouscondition.com/e1.html . If you read the short article at this URL you will gain important insights into religious people – and almost every person is religious about something. You do not have to believe in a god to be “religious.”
The article refers to three points made by Leon Festinger, the founder of Cognitive Dissonance theory. He suggested three modes that we use to rid ourselves of cognitive dissonance. Item three reads as follows:
“3) An individual can seek evidence that is critical of the new information. Suppose yet again that you believe in the Judeo-Christian God. If someone presents evidence that contradicts your belief, you can also alleviate the dissonance by convincing yourself that the new information is invalid. Needless to say, this is what we usually see in matters of religion. Since religious people do not want to trivialize or change their beliefs, finding information that supports the original belief and/or information that brings the new evidence into question is the quickest method to eliminate the cognitive dissonance. Therefore, cognitive dissonance primarily drives confirmation bias. …”
“Confirmation Bias” and “Group-Think” are synonymous. People respond to challenges in their belief system in different ways, but to avoid the stress of cognitive dissonance, many refuse to entertain the thought that they might be wrong in their belief. It does not matter if it is a major or minor point. Many seek the support of their peers to confirm them in their long held belief or position.
Believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Judeo/Christian belief system, believers in Allah in the Islamic religion, or for that matter believers in the Evolutionary Theory have the most to loose by admitting the position they traditionally held is incorrect. Greater the belief, results in greater psychological and/or emotional pain and may even result in persecution.
If the person makes it known to those of their peer group that they are questioning their long held beliefs, and persist in learning and talking more about it, will eventually be rejected by the group. To be ostracized by the very group that a person or family enjoyed fellowship with is a very difficult position to be in. To be shunned by members of your own family who may reject you is emotionally shattering and disruptive to ones life. Only those who have a love of truth will have a relatively easy time breaking away as they pursue their new coarse of enlightenment.
TheSealing website address these groups specifically and shows how they affect each other, and the world system in which they exist. The intent is to give you confidence that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is real and is in control. Believe it or not, every person on this planet will eventually be confronted with a choice to make. The presentation of the material in this website will give you a solid Biblical and historical foundation for believing, and the faith to press on with what God is calling you to do.
Please view the Introduction, Purpose, and Challenge pages to gain a complete view of the significance of the material contained in TheSealing website.
Thank you for finding this website and taking the time to consider what is presented. May it serve to plant a seed of hope and courage in your heart.
Sincerely yours,
George Petrjcik