Originally posted by twhitehead
How many theists here believe they are infallible? I have noticed several that will go to great lengths to avoid admitting they are wrong about something, even when it is not central to their belief system, or even to their current argument. I recall a certain JW who seemed to believe that admitting error was equivalent to failure as a Christian, and I re ...[text shortened]... y?
Do I appear to behave that way? (maybe I do, and just don't realize it, so be honest here).
http://www.rburton.com/_i_on_being_certain_i___believing_you_are_right_even_when_you_re_not_63166.htm
"Burton thinks that just as we perceive our external world through our physical senses, our internal world presents itself in the form of feelings, such as familiar or strange and correct or incorrect. And he shows that these inner perceptions are necessary for us to function properly in everyday life, because our thoughts are subject to constant self-questioning. For example, even though reason may tell us that running up a tree to escape a lion is an excellent strategy, experience shows that great strategies can fail and that there may be better options. Because alternative choices are present in any situation, logical thought alone would be doomed to a perpetual “yes, but” questioning routine. Burton reasons that it is the feeling of knowing that solves this dilemma of how to reach a conclusion. Without this “circuit breaker,” indecision and inaction would rule the day."
The above is from a review of a book by Robert A Burton, ON BEING CERTAIN: Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not. The main thesis is that certainty is a
feeling about a thought. Certainty is induced by the magnitude and immediacy of a threat, when two or more alternative reactions to that threat exist in the mind.
The issue of theism is of far greater and constantly immediate importance than escaping a lion, to the theist.