The Barrier of already having the answer is a big one, for sure. And affects us all.
I do it at work sometimes.
-In troubleshooting an issue I'll get an idea on how to fix it
-I'll follow this idea as I move forward
-Can sometimes get stuck on "using this idea to fix the problem" instead of identifying new information and using that to identify that I should be using an entirely different idea to fix the problem - not forcing the original idea that doesn't really incorporate all the new information.
It's very similar to the problem of being able to accept - hey, I might be wrong about this.
Science has it's foundation built on "hey, I might be wrong about this."
So much so that if you are unable to identify a way other's could prove you wrong - your idea is labelled "unfalsifiable" and therefore - not science.
Religion only seems to incorporate the idea of - hey, I might be wrong about this - on a minimal level.
Items they deem as "unimportant" or "non-core" can be treated in such a way - "What did God mean when He said this?" or "The old testament is only meant for them, for us - it's replaced with the new testament.."
But other items cannot be questioned at all.
Items deemed as "core-tenets" or "fundamental theology" are not allowed to be put in the - hey, I might be wrong about this - box. If they are, well, that's how additional sects/religions are created.
That's the difference:
Science identifies that the only way to make meaningful progress is to address The Barrier and ensure that ALL aspects are open to the - hey, I might be wrong about this - idea. If you cannot apply the idea - then it's unfalsifiable - it's not science. No matter how big or small the theory/hypothesis/idea is.
Religion identifies that they don't want to make progress. They have the answers. And they reinforce The Barrier by mandating that no questions are allowed.
Accept this or get out.
When searching for truth - questioning should always be encouraged.
If it's actually true - the questioning only results in strengthening the idea.
If it's actually false - the questioning will lead to figuring that out, and figuring out what actually is true.
Whenever anyone, or any group, blocks questioning - it's because they are not holding "searching for truth" as their highest priority.
What is their highest priority, then? Anybody's guess - but it's definitely not "the truth."
™ Version 4.2
