Can you admit that you might be wrong?

Question

Human beings are fallible creatures. There is no possible way we can ever know everything. There is no possible way we can ever know the complete Truth of existence.

Whatever your beliefs are, you are entitled to them, and welcome. But, whatever your beliefs are, do you have the strength and honesty to admit that there is a possibility that your beliefs are wrong?

I am including people of non-beliefs here, Jimbo.

Answer 1

Of course I can. I very often say I believe / think. I'm not above admitting I'm wrong and capable of learning more. That's what's so great about life, it's a learning experience.

Answer 2

Yes, because I am a sinful person and often times live in the flesh I have momentary lapses of doubt creep into my mind. Usually a couple questions I have no answers to enter my mind on a bad day and something (my sinful desires, or Satan and his minions) plant seeds of doubt--but only if they knew, for they cannot read my mind. From a purely clinical perspective, I wonder what have I lost if I am wrong? Well, nothing. I will be deep-sixed and my bones will turn to ashes. Now, if I was a non-believer, how do I reconcile this. In fact, In Christ, w/o Faith it is impossible to please God. In atheism, have you ever thought you might be wrong. Now I do not know if you will burn in a fiery pit forever, but I do know you will be separated from God. There is no Limbo where you get a second chance to say "I didn't know" ---- you did. Seems to me that an atheist requires a lot more, for lack of a better word for them, Faith, than a believer in Jesus Christ. That takes a lot to believe in nothing. Good Question.

Answer 3

But, whatever your beliefs are, do you have the strength and honesty to admit that there is a possibility that your beliefs are wrong?

STATUS QUO - I believe in JESUS CHRIST. That HE is the Son of God. and that He is ONE with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

You mentioned about strength and honesty. Right now, this very moment, a lot of Christians are being ridiculed and ostracized because of our belief. By standing up to what we believe in and accepting unfair judgement requires more strength and honesty as compared to what you're asking in your question.

Possibility? I don't think it's possible that my belief will be proven wrong. But if such a time will come that my belief is proven wrong, although i doubt it, then i will admit my mistake. Until then, i will remain a Christian, a follower of Christ.

Answer 4

Yes

As sad as it is, I have not seen or heard or felt or touched God.

I believe in Him. But I have no way of knowing if Im completely right.

And it takes a lot of guts to say that.

Edit: there are however, certain truths that when spoken, will sound distinctively right. and cannot be wrong, under ANY circumstances

If for example I had believed that 'judging someone' was a truth I cannot be sure of, I would undermine a lot of my own principles for one thing.

Also, if I accepted that killing an innocent creature was somethign we can never be sure of its truth, I would also undermine my own principles.

So theres a fine line here, and a lot of paradoxes too.

Answer 5

Without the strength and honesty to admit I might be wrong, I am completely powerless, and my learning stops at that point. Most will have to eventually embrace being wrong.

I agree that humans think they have the capacity to fathom their own existence, but really, even the imaginations of geniuses' admit that their brains aren't capable of coming up with an answer even close.

Answer 6

Of course. My religious beliefs have changed drastrically over my lifetime, and I can always say that I could have been wrong at any time before and I could be wrong now. In fact, I currently do ntofollow any organized religion for the simple fact that so few of them will admit that they could be wrong. Even when they advocate hatred or passing judgment on their fellow human being because they do not believe the same.

Answer 7

The Affirmation of Acknowledgment:

I: I acknowledge the presence of other faiths* on my planet, indeed, right here in my city/town/village. I acknowledge that the followers of these faiths feel as strongly, maybe more so, than I do about mine.
II: I forgive the other faiths and wipe clean the slate between us. I cannot hold a person responsible for the acts of their faith, I cannot hold a faith at fault for individual practitioners. It is not my place to convert, or otherwise alter a person's religion. I invite discussion of beliefs without judgment of those holding them.
III: I acknowledge that I may be wrong, and I have found comfort in the fact that I may be right.

-http://www.cuew.org/affirmation.html

Answer 8

Definitely. It doesn't make anyone less of a person to be able to say "I could be wrong about all of this". I have stated as much on several occasions when in discussion about Spirituality. I found it amazing and sad at the same time when I first got online (10+ yrs ago) that there were so many who actually thought they could never be wrong. Confidence is a great thing... till you have so much that you are blind to your own flaws.

Answer 9

Yes of course,
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070501175648AAkNWid
My view might be wrong and I'm willing to admit it, but is someone else willing too? Also, in this case, don't forget my dad is a diplomat for Taiwan, so my view will be more "reliable" than someone else's who does not support their facts, or just hate Taiwan for no reason. But, I might be wrong and if someone is able to convince me without swears or offending me with facts, then yes, I will admit that my ideas are wrong. Some people never will have the strength and honesty to admit that they might be wrong, for example, religion.

Answer 10

Without a doubt.

That's the nice thing about atheism, and the quest for knowledge. It's possible to admit that sometimes the answer can be, or is, wrong. It drives the quest for more knowledge, and allows us to find out the right answers.