A Certainty-Seeking, Doubt Eliminating Faith Hinders Learning

Greg Boyd writes,

"I contend that certainty-seeking faith tends to inflict a selective learning phobia on those who hold to it. It’s no secret that, at least in America, evangelical Christians sort of have a reputation of being narrow-minded and intolerant. Deny it though we may, research has established it."

"There are a number of plausible explanations for this, but I believe one of the main reasons has to do with the widespread assumption that a person’s faith is as strong as they are certain."

"Imagine a Christian I’ll call Bob. Like most other conservative Christians, Bob believes that he is saved by believing the doctrines that are “necessary for salvation.” And, like most others, Bob assumes that his faith is as strong as he is free of doubt."

"It’s apparent that for Christians like Bob, one’s sense of security is anchored in their level of confidence that their beliefs are correct. If Bob were to lose confidence or change his mind about any of these things, his salvation, as well as his acceptance as a fellow “saved” believer in his church, would at least be thrown into question, if not absolutely denied. Not only this, but Bob’s sense of identity, purpose, and well-being is wrapped up in his remaining convinced his beliefs are correct. With so much at stake, how open do you really think Bob would be to seriously studying books and dialoguing with people who might pose strong challenges to his core convictions? And how capable do you suppose Bob would be at objectively assessing the merits of points of view that disagree with his own, were he to somehow muster the courage to examine them? The answer, I think, is obvious."

"Not only this, but neurological studies have shown that the pleasure centers of our brain are activated whenever we encounter facts or opinions that confirm beliefs that are important to us. Conversely, they also reveal that our amygdala, which controls our “fight or flight” reflex, is activated when we initially confront facts or opinions that conflict with these beliefs. And, as we noted in the previous chapter, most of us know firsthand, to one degree or another, how painful it is to doubt beliefs that are important to us. Cognitive dissonance over important matters can be excruciating!"

"So everybody experiences pleasure when important beliefs are confirmed, anger when they are threatened, and pain when they are doubted. This is what makes learning, as well as teaching, a challenging endeavor. But the situation is much worse for those who embrace certainty-seeking faith. For people like Bob, his eternal destiny, his fellowship, his identity, and his sense of purpose and well-being depend on his ability to remain confident he’s right, not just about one or two beliefs, but about the entire package of beliefs he and his church identify as “orthodox.” For people like Bob, these beliefs are not only important; they define people to the core of their being, and they do so with an eternal intensity."

"This is why I claim that certainty-seeking faith tends to inflict people with a learning phobia. Learning requires students to be willing and able to allow their beliefs to be challenged and to experience cognitive dissonance. Learning requires students to at least hypothetically suspend their beliefs to objectively consider other points of view. And learning demands that students sincerely consider the possibility that they’re wrong when assessing perspectives that conflict with their own. With so much riding on his remaining convinced that the beliefs in his fixed package are all true, how could Bob not fear this process?"

"From personal experience as well as my interactions with conservative Christians over the years, I’m convinced that one of the main selling points of the model of faith that declares war on doubt is that it allows people to feel justified indulging in the pleasure of feeling certain and avoiding the pain of doubt. In fact, it not only allows for this: it declares it a supreme virtue! Unfortunately, the price one pays is that they must insulate themselves from everything that might threaten this certainty, which means it installs a phobia of learning in areas that could potentially conflict with their beliefs."

"And when they do confront challenges to their faith, their amygdala is triggered. Indeed, since the stakes could not be higher, it is triggered with a vengeance. If you’re looking for an explanation for why conservative Christians in America have a reputation for being narrow and intolerant, I submit you’ve just found it. In fact, as we’ll discuss in a moment, if you’re looking for an explanation for why religion has, in one fashion or another, been behind so much of the bloodshed throughout history, I submit that you’ve found your answer for this as well."

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Boyd, Gregory A. (2013-09-15). Benefit of the Doubt: Breaking the Idol of Certainty (pp. 43-45). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.