Interview With Don Bradley.

[Shulem]

I think that it is true that each one of us, including nonbelievers, chooses what to believe or not believe. Choices based on one’s own experiences and time given to try and determine ‘the truth’.

I absolutely agree with you.

[I Have Questions]

I don't believe we choose belief. Many confuse preferences with belief and they are not the same thing. We are either convinced or we aren't are not convinced. I think doxastic volunteerism might be exposing people's threshold that triggers belief one way or another.

I suppose it depends on the topic. For instance, I can understand people choosing to believe in a life after death. That’s an unknowable thing. However, I struggle to understand how someone can continue to believe the Book of Mormon is 100% a translation of a record that’s 1,500 years old when there is undeniable objective evidence that shows, categorically, that it isn’t. I could choose to believe in an afterlife, but I couldn’t choose to believe a demonstrable fake book.

But people do have a capacity to keep reframing the evidence to avoid grasping the nettle, accepting crystalising the sunk cost of something pursued that has proven to be wrong. I don’t have the capacity to accept living in denial the way some do.

I couldn’t choose to believe the earth is flat, and that the moon is made of cheese, and that the moon landings were faked. I don’t know what it takes to believe something against the objective evidence.

[Rivendale]

I don't believe we choose belief. Many confuse preferences with belief and they are not the same thing. We are either convinced or we aren't are not convinced. I think doxastic volunteerism might be exposing people's threshold that triggers belief one way or another.

I suppose it depends on the topic. For instance, I can understand people choosing to believe in a life after death. That’s an unknowable thing. However, I struggle to understand how someone can continue to believe the Book of Mormon is 100% a translation of a record that’s 1,500 years old when there is undeniable objective evidence that shows, categorically, that it isn’t. I could choose to believe in an afterlife, but I couldn’t choose to believe a demonstrable fake book.

But people do have a capacity to keep reframing the evidence to avoid grasping the nettle, accepting crystalising the sunk cost of something pursued that has proven to be wrong. I don’t have the capacity to accept living in denial the way some do.

I couldn’t choose to believe the earth is flat, and that the moon is made of cheese, and that the moon landings were faked. I don’t know what it takes to believe something against the objective evidence.

I don't think you can truly choose to believe an afterlife is actually real. I mean nothing can be determined to be 100% true but believing a life after death would probably be better framed as hope in an afterlife. Believing in a thing with objective evidence against it is what religious believers do every day.

[Rivendale]

I don't believe we choose belief...For example as an experiment MG should choose to be atheist for a day and denounce Jesus, Joseph and Oaks along with all of Mormonism and I am betting he can't.

Been there, done that. It wasn't President Oaks at the time though. Made it through to the other side and chose belief.

Regards,
MG

Do it right now. If you can choose it should be easy.

[MG 2.0]

Been there, done that. It wasn't President Oaks at the time though. Made it through to the other side and chose belief.

Regards,
MG

Do it right now. If you can choose it should be easy.

That response causes me to think that I can’t take you seriously. Like you can flip a switch?!

I don’t know how old you are but I went through all of this stuff, maybe more, over a period of years (90’s). At the time I couldn’t have chosen to believe. Why? Because I just didn’t. The evidence at the time was too overwhelming. But time went on, deconstruction and reconstruction took place (not easy by any means), and here I am talking to you.

Regards,
MG

[Rivendale]

Do it right now. If you can choose it should be easy.

That response causes me to think that I can’t take you seriously. Like you can flip a switch?!

I don’t know how old you are but I went through all of this stuff, maybe more, over a period of years (90’s). At the time I couldn’t have chosen to believe. Why? Because I just didn’t. The evidence at the time was too overwhelming. But time went on, deconstruction and reconstruction took place (not easy by any means), and here I am talking to you.

Regards,
MG

That's exactly what I am saying it isn't like a switch. You get convinced, you don't choose to be convinced it happens subconsciously for whatever reasons.

[MG 2.0]

That response causes me to think that I can’t take you seriously. Like you can flip a switch?!

I don’t know how old you are but I went through all of this stuff, maybe more, over a period of years (90’s). At the time I couldn’t have chosen to believe. Why? Because I just didn’t. The evidence at the time was too overwhelming. But time went on, deconstruction and reconstruction took place (not easy by any means), and here I am talking to you.

Regards,
MG

That's exactly what I am saying it isn't like a switch. You get convinced, you don't choose to be convinced it happens subconsciously for whatever reasons.

If you listened to the interview I've linked to that's what happened to Don. But it didn't happen until everything that happened up until that point had already happened.

And that took time. Years, in fact

My belief is that those that are intellectually inclined have to dig deeper and longer in order to find the truth. I think this is what the Apostle Paul was referring to when he said that some would be ever learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth.

At some point God has to be in the equation. And it doesn't always mean that one will be led directly to the CofJCofLDS. In my opinion, God loves all His children and will lead them along at their own pace.

Bailing out isn't the answer in my opinion. I speak from experience. I almost did.

I'm glad I didn't.

Regards,
MG

[I Have Questions]

Do it right now. If you can choose it should be easy.

If you take Don as an example. He became convinced that Mormonism was the right belief system. And then it wasn’t and he became convinced atheism was the right belief system. And then it wasn’t and he became convinced Evangelicalism was the right belief system. And then it wasn’t and he became convinced Mormonism was the right belief system. Again.

Was he choosing, or was he being persuaded by the compelling arguments and evidence? Or was he just in crisis each time frantically looking for a safe haven for his thoughts and feelings? He returned to that which was familiar, and made the pieces for that decision - is how it seems to me from listening to him.

[Rivendale]

Do it right now. If you can choose it should be easy.

If you take Don as an example. He became convinced that Mormonism was the right belief system. And then it wasn’t and he became convinced atheism was the right belief system. And then it wasn’t and he became convinced Evangelicalism was the right belief system. And then it wasn’t and he became convinced Mormonism was the right belief system. Again.

Was he choosing, or was he being persuaded by the compelling arguments and evidence? Or was he just in crisis each time looking for a safe haven for his thoughts and feelings?

I would say he became convinced subconsciously for probably a combination of reasons and then created some kind of framework to articulate his new belief. Much like a split brain patient.

… split brain patients articulating reasons for what the left brain sees

In split-brain patients (individuals who have had their corpus callosum severed, usually to treat severe epilepsy), the left hemisphere—which houses language and speech—fabricates instant, logical explanations for actions initiated by the mute right hemisphere.

The Classic Experiment

• The Setup: Neuroscientists Michael Gazzaniga and Roger Sperry presented two different images simultaneously to a split-brain patient: a chicken claw flashed to the right visual field (processed by the speaking left brain) and a snow scene flashed to the left visual field (processed by the non-speaking right brain).
• The Actions: When asked to point to matching pictures on a table with their hands, the patient's right hand (controlled by the left brain) pointed to a chicken, and the left hand (controlled by the right brain) pointed to a snow shovel.
• The Rationalization: When researchers asked the patient "Why did you pick the shovel?", the left hemisphere—which never saw the snow scene and has no direct knowledge of why the left hand moved—did not hesitate or say "I don't know". Instead, it confabulated (made up) a quick, plausible story on the spot, such as saying, "Oh, a shovel? You need a shovel to clean out the chicken shed

I think a lot of this occurs at the subconscious level often enhanced by trauma or deep introspection. Deep research and previous indoctrination often add to the nested belief scaffolding.

[I Have Questions]

I think a lot of this occurs at the subconscious level often enhanced by trauma or deep introspection. Deep research and previous indoctrination often add to the nested belief scaffolding.

I wouldn’t disagree with that assessment.