1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,440 This is the Reading Instruction Show. 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 I'm your host, Dr. Andy Johnson. 3 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:09,360 The title of today's podcast, 4 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:11,800 and it's somewhat about reading, 5 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:13,800 is called Don't Pray For Me. 6 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:19,320 Now I've been around for 64 years. 7 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:23,880 In these 64 years, I've had many rich opportunities 8 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:28,000 to encounter people of widely varying 9 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:30,720 and different views on things. 10 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:33,520 Quite often, I encounter people 11 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:36,280 who have different political views, 12 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:38,760 different religious views, 13 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:41,880 and different views on reading instruction. 14 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:46,880 And we all seem to be very impassioned 15 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:49,120 about our views here. 16 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:52,880 We all think that our views are the right views, 17 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:55,240 or why else would we have them? 18 00:00:55,240 --> 00:01:00,240 Now, I'm a bit of an outlier in certain circles. 19 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,240 My political views are very progressive. 20 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:08,240 In some circles, I'm known as one of those liberals. 21 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:10,240 You liberals! 22 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:12,240 You liberals always! 23 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:18,240 Labels like these are really a shortcut to understanding 24 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:20,240 that leads to an un-understanding. 25 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,240 Liberals are not a herd of zebra running around 26 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:26,240 believing the same thing. 27 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:29,240 They're not a monolithic group 28 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:32,240 who all believe and think the same. 29 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:34,240 People with progressive views 30 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:38,240 have vastly differing ideas on all sorts of things. 31 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,240 Now my views on reading instruction are these. 32 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:47,240 I am the holiest of whole language practitioners. 33 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:52,240 It's called the neurocognitive theory of reading, 34 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:56,240 or a meaning-based approach to reading instruction. 35 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:00,240 This is because it's based on the latest research 36 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:03,240 in cognitive science and neuroscience, 37 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:07,240 and also people have a strong negative reaction 38 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:09,240 to the term whole language, 39 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:12,240 even though most really don't understand 40 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:15,240 exactly what whole language is. 41 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:19,240 A neurocognitive approach as opposed to a skills-based approach 42 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:23,240 that use reading as simply sounding out words. 43 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:27,240 Here reading instruction is comprised of low-level 44 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:29,240 sounding out word instruction. 45 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:35,240 I understand reading as creating meaning with print. 46 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:39,240 Here reading instruction involves some low-level 47 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:41,240 sounding out word instruction, 48 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:45,240 along with instruction related to creating meaning. 49 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:50,240 Now my religious views, and the point of this podcast, 50 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:56,240 is that I'm not quite certain what label to put on me these days. 51 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:58,240 I may be unlabelable. 52 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:03,240 I started out as a traditional Lutheran Christian 53 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:05,240 once upon a time. 54 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:10,240 I was involved with charismatic Christianity for a time. 55 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:14,240 Then I became fascinated with world religions 56 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:18,240 and discovered the sacred elements in all of these. 57 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:24,240 I discovered that shamanism is the basis of most religions. 58 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:29,240 I saw how this and other mystic traditions 59 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:32,240 were essential elements of early Christianity. 60 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:37,240 Christian Gnosticism and the Christian mystics 61 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:41,240 converged with Jungian psychology and quantum physics. 62 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:46,240 Tick Nhan, the Buddhist monk, showed how a Buddhist view 63 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:51,240 of Christianity, a view focusing on dispositions 64 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:56,240 or states of mind, created a more powerful, 65 00:03:56,240 --> 00:04:01,240 dynamic view of biblical scriptures and Christianities. 66 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:05,240 So what is my religious label? 67 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:10,240 I embrace the traditional Christian images 68 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:12,240 and symbols I grew up with. 69 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:18,240 I use these along with scripture to bring me to a higher place. 70 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:24,240 Now the Bible is real and accurate, but not on the historical plane. 71 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:30,240 It occurred, is occurring, and will occur on the cosmic inner realm. 72 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:35,240 Jung would call this universal consciousness, 73 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:42,240 Implicit Order, the Kingdom or Kingdom of Heaven, God within. 74 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:49,240 I am not a Christian, but I am wherever Christianity takes me. 75 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:55,240 Christianity and other world religions are vehicles 76 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:57,240 to take me to a higher place. 77 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:01,240 I have noticed that sometimes in the world of religions, 78 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:05,240 adherents become so enamored with the vehicle 79 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:08,240 that they never get out of the garage. 80 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:15,240 In Christianity, there are those so focused on biblical literacy 81 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:19,240 that they spend all their time polishing the car 82 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:23,240 without actually driving the car. 83 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:27,240 Christianity and other world religions are vehicles 84 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:30,240 to take you to a higher place. 85 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:35,240 That higher place is where you're better able to nurture self, 86 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:38,240 others and your environment. 87 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:44,240 Unfortunately, some use Christianity to take them to a lower place, 88 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:48,240 a place where they become destructive to self, 89 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:50,240 to others and to others. 90 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:55,240 The result is judgment, hate, selfishness, self-centeredness, 91 00:05:55,240 --> 00:06:01,240 prejudice, religious bigotry, racial bigotry, tyranny, 92 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:03,240 and parochialism. 93 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,240 Now, when people realize you have a religious view 94 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:09,240 that doesn't match their own, 95 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:12,240 there are three things that often happen. 96 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:16,240 The first thing that happens is to be able to see 97 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:20,240 how wrong you are and to convince you of your wrongness 98 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:25,240 so that you will adapt a view that is more closely aligned with your own. 99 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:30,240 This also happens with political views and reading instruction. 100 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:33,240 We've all done this myself included. 101 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:39,240 However, this gets in the way of listening and understanding 102 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:42,240 and it robs both parties. 103 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:47,240 The second thing that often happens is name calling, labeling, 104 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:52,240 disparaging comments and the use of unflattering objectives, adjectives. 105 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:56,240 This happens in politics and reading instruction 106 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:58,240 and it happens in religion. 107 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,240 Instead of addressing the idea, 108 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:05,240 there isn't a thing that's more important than the idea. 109 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:11,240 And it happens in religion. Instead of addressing the idea, 110 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:16,240 there is an attack or a demeaning, 111 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:18,240 a diminution of the person. 112 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:23,240 I've discovered, however, that when the name callers run out of adjectives 113 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:25,240 and names to call you, 114 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:28,240 when they have said all the bad things about you, 115 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:31,240 they have nothing left to say. 116 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:37,240 And this second thing creates walls and further separates people. 117 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:41,240 Now, the third thing that sometimes happens, 118 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,240 and it happens only when talking about religion, 119 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:47,240 is that the person will say they will pray for me. 120 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:51,240 When they find out I have a different perspective 121 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:55,240 and they cannot convince me of the wrongness 122 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:59,240 or damage me with their words, 123 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:02,240 they say they will pray for me. 124 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:04,240 I'll pray for you. 125 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:06,240 Three questions. First, 126 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:11,240 everyone benefits from having a good prayer sprinkled over their head now and again. 127 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:16,240 But why would you waste your prayers on me? 128 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:20,240 I appreciate the thought, but I'm good. 129 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:23,240 I have a pretty good life. 130 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:25,240 I'm in good health. 131 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:27,240 I'm happy most of the time. 132 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:30,240 I love my wife and she actually loves me. 133 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:32,240 Imagine that. 134 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:35,240 There are many more people who need your prayers, 135 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:37,240 much more than I do. 136 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:43,240 There's plenty of hungry, grieving, sick, and abused people in the world. 137 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:49,240 It seems a silly waste of prayer to pray for me. 138 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:52,240 And the second question I have is, 139 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:55,240 are you really going to pray for me? 140 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:58,240 Or are you just saying that? 141 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:01,240 And if you are going to pray for me, 142 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:04,240 what will that prayer sound like? 143 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:08,240 Dear God, please help Andy believe the right thing. 144 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:13,240 Dear God, make Andy see things the way that I see them, 145 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:15,240 sincerely ours. 146 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:17,240 Dear God, Andy is sick and misguided. 147 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:20,240 He is a sinner. He needs your help. 148 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:24,240 Dear God, help Andy see the truth of your divine presence. 149 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:28,240 And the third question I have is, 150 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:33,240 isn't it just a bit presumptuous to tell God what to do? 151 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:37,240 Again, I really appreciate the sentiment, 152 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:41,240 but use the energy to do what Jesus instructed. 153 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:43,240 Help somebody. 154 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:45,240 Feed and clothe the poor. 155 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:47,240 Visit somebody. 156 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:50,240 Provide health care for all. 157 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:54,240 Faith without love is meaningless. 158 00:09:54,240 --> 00:10:18,240 Prayer without doing anything, doing anything, does nothing.