Why rock star psychologist Jordan Peterson struggles with this question

It is the question celebrity psychologist Jordan Peterson gets asked the most. And despite hating the question, he finally answered.

Jordan Peterson isn’t alone in his dislike for this question.

It’s one that makes most people uncomfortable, and the rock star speaker especially so.

The renowned psychologist, who’s been repeatedly attacked as being controversial, used the question as an almost theme of his lecture to thousands of people in Sydney on Tuesday night.

It came from Monday’s night’s Q&A episode where he was a guest, and its relevance on Tuesday in particular in the wake of the Cardinal George Pell verdict was not lost on the star either.

The question in its basic form is: Do you believe in God?

Its longer version came in a video question from an ABC viewer from Greystanes, in New South Wales, and was about human dignity which the viewer noted seemed to be a topic the whole panel agreed on.

His question was directed at guest Catherine McGregor but host Tony Jones asked the whole panel to answer it.

“My question is do you believe in God? Because as a Catholic especially, I don’t see there being any other way where we can have a universal dignity beyond there being a God who’s created us,” the viewer said.

Dr Peterson used his Sydney lecture to expand on his thoughts in great length, an exercise that’s made him famous and adored by followers who love his longform YouTube discussions.

Some of his fans’ most favourites talks are his appearances on the Joe Rogan Experience, one of America’s most popular YouTube series.

In a nutshell - because those of us in the “mainstream media” don’t have hours to dissect a topic - Dr Peterson believes no one, not just him, has a right to say they believe in God.

To do so would mean such a person was 100 per cent perfect (and he tells us we aren’t) and such an idea is “hypothetically impressive”.

Dr Peterson was last to answer the question on the panel, with Jones pointing out he had never heard the star give a definitive answer.

He wasn’t particularly happy. He immediately said he doesn’t like the question.

RELATED: Why Jordan Peterson doesn’t like Q&A

Jordan Peterson's face is all of us being asked this question. If you close your eyes, maybe it will make it better. Picture: ABC.

At first he said it was too personal and private, but then said he considered himself a deeply religious person and he acted as if God existed and he was terrified he actually might.

“But I don’t consider myself an authority on metaphysical issues and I don’t believe my belief in God, it’s not something that seems to be fit for … there’s something wrong that I can’t put my finger on triumphantly declaiming my belief in one manner or another,” he answered,

“I’m not willing to place myself conveniently in a box so I’m going to leave it at that.”

But he didn’t leave it at that and not happy with his answer and short explanation, he expanded on it in his lecture.

For those not familiar with Dr Peterson (and despite what fans think there are many) his videos have attracted more than 40 million views.

A year go New York Times columnist David Brooks called him “the most influential public intellectual in the Western world right now”.

Pleasure to see you live tonight.
I was a little disappointed with the amount of time spent referencing and correcting last nights #Qanda as opposed to speaking about "12 rules of life." Still a big fan. Enjoy the rest of your stay in Sydney.@jordanbpeterson

— Billy Franklin (@billyhad) February 26, 2019

@jordanbpeterson #icc #sydney
‘You need to develop a relationship with something that is profound. And what is more profound than the truth.’ pic.twitter.com/WemK1pFgCm

— Anneke (@Anneke_d_p) February 26, 2019

WHY ‘NO ONE HAS A RIGHT’ TO BELIEVE IN GOD

So, “What effect does that have on your behaviour?” he asked the convention centre audience of 8000 people on virtuous people having or embodying such a strong view about their belief in God.

He specifically detailed how he was not “satisfied” with Labor MP Terri Butler’s answer that she was agnostic, or outspoken commentator Van Badham’s statement that she was a Christian and a Marxist.

Dr Peterson said he did not believe people were valuable just because they were people, as Ms Butler had explained.

With Ms Badham, he connected her to the Red Queen from the Alice in Wonderland film, because of her “twisted” idea.

Ms Butler has since asked Dr Peterson to lay down a new law in his book for his fans not to be “vile”.

Usually anyone who dare come out publicly not in the Peterson camp cops a barrage of criticism by his fans on social media.

Hey @jordanbpeterson it might be time to lay down a 13th rule for those who consider you to be their saviour: “Don’t be vile.”

Enjoy your time as a guest in Australia. #auspol pic.twitter.com/MmYfy9fzpr

— Terri Butler MP (@terrimbutler) February 28, 2019

Mark Leach, a Sydney minister who went to the talk, wrote a piece about what he learned and what Christians could take away from Dr Peterson’s book, which the star retweeted.

While not naming Pell, Dr Peterson referenced Tuesday’s drama, and the “endless pedophilic scandal that was cleaned up 100,000 years ago now perhaps being taken seriously, or perhaps not”.

“What’s evidence? It’s not so clear. The more acting out of the righteous leaders … that’s no indicator of our right to say we believe,” he told the audience.

“What right do I have to say that? Is that a claim I’m a good person somehow?”

Dr Peterson, who’s studied the old and new testament and speaks about his ideas in his videos, said if people truly followed some of the biblical themes then they had a right to believe in God.

But he pointed out that even they involved stories such as sacrificing your children.

He also said such a claim of belief carried with it a heavy moral burden.

“You can’t make a higher claim to moral virtue than that,” he said.

“That’s why that question makes me uncomfortable. I don’t think I have the right to make that proclamation.

“Everyone wrestles with God, or the idea of God, and no one really knows because we are separated by death and ignorance.

“There’s plenty wrong with me that needs to be fixed before I would dare utter words like that.”

The audience cheered and applauded.

“So that’s a better answer to that question.”

It only took his entire show to get there.

It’s going to take me hours, days, weeks, maybe years to process the intense, thought-provoking words @jordanbpeterson shared with me and the #Sydney audience this evening. That was intense, challenging and uplifting. pic.twitter.com/hXLeIplKsl

— Katherine Mountford (@kjmofo) February 26, 2019