Noxious Weeds: The Cognitive Dissonance of Fundamentalist Christianity
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Event Website
https://source2022.sched.com/
Start Date
18-5-2022
End Date
18-5-2022
Keywords
Cognitive Dissonance, Fundamentalist Christianity, Sexuality
Abstract
The poem “Noxious Weeds” explores the cognitive dissonance of fundamentalist Christian beliefs and sexuality. The poem’s setting is inspired by the chicken coop on my grandpa’s farm, which is reimagined through the lens of fundamentalist Christianity. Through the perspective of chickens and their confined space, the coop, the piece explores the tension of living under scripture and continuous “sin.” The poem breaks into the biblical epistle form. In this form, the imperative sentence structure dominates, instructing Cream Legbar chickens on how to avoid a life of sin. The “sins” that the work explores denote sexual desires, and they are treated as inevitable. The poem attempts to present the concept of double-mindedness or the double soul, a state of existence in which one tries to follow biblical scripture while also committing sins that contradict them. The state of double-mindedness is viewed in itself as a sin. Yet my piece asserts that double-mindedness, or cognitive dissonance, is an inevitable state of mind when living under fundamentalist Christian beliefs. My poem seeks to explore the cycle of sin and punishment, the fear of God’s wrath, and question the tension between one’s natural desires and the threat of hell. Devotion through a fundamentalist Christian lens is purgatory, and “Noxious Weeds” attempts to show the hopeless state of the coop so that one might free themselves from it.
Recommended Citation
Schloss, Zachary, "Noxious Weeds: The Cognitive Dissonance of Fundamentalist Christianity" (2022). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 20.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2022/CAH/20
Department/Program
English Professional and Creative Writing
Additional Mentoring Department
English Professional and Creative Writing
Noxious Weeds: The Cognitive Dissonance of Fundamentalist Christianity
The poem “Noxious Weeds” explores the cognitive dissonance of fundamentalist Christian beliefs and sexuality. The poem’s setting is inspired by the chicken coop on my grandpa’s farm, which is reimagined through the lens of fundamentalist Christianity. Through the perspective of chickens and their confined space, the coop, the piece explores the tension of living under scripture and continuous “sin.” The poem breaks into the biblical epistle form. In this form, the imperative sentence structure dominates, instructing Cream Legbar chickens on how to avoid a life of sin. The “sins” that the work explores denote sexual desires, and they are treated as inevitable. The poem attempts to present the concept of double-mindedness or the double soul, a state of existence in which one tries to follow biblical scripture while also committing sins that contradict them. The state of double-mindedness is viewed in itself as a sin. Yet my piece asserts that double-mindedness, or cognitive dissonance, is an inevitable state of mind when living under fundamentalist Christian beliefs. My poem seeks to explore the cycle of sin and punishment, the fear of God’s wrath, and question the tension between one’s natural desires and the threat of hell. Devotion through a fundamentalist Christian lens is purgatory, and “Noxious Weeds” attempts to show the hopeless state of the coop so that one might free themselves from it.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2022/CAH/20
Faculty Mentor(s)
Xavier Cavazos