We may unintentionally focus on biblical passages and teachings that support our opinions and ignore or downplay those that contradict them. Our fallen human nature dislikes being wrong, so we subconsciously want to protect our self-esteem. Hence, we are always motivated to prove our opinions and our tribe’s positions to be correct. Our confirmation bias easily kicks in without us realizing it.
Combined with our fallen nature’s potency at finding faults in others (finding the speck in our neighbor’s eye) and missing faults in ourselves (the logs in our eyes), we too easily think we are always theologically or biblically right (Matt. 7:3). We accuse each other of deliberately ignoring biblical truths.
We are all biased. And before you think that you are less biased than others, we are all hypocrites too (as Jesu said, “Beware the Yeast of the Pharisees.” Are we doomed to biased opinions and intractable beliefs? Join us tonight as we confront this theological struggle.