Since we are not omniscient, we can be wrong about any number of things for which we think we are right. How would we ever know if we are, in fact, wrong? One way to do so is to actively engage with the best arguments of your ideological opponents. What are their criticisms of your view? What are their arguments for their own view?
Another way to check our beliefs is to be self-critical. How would you argue against your point of view? What would you identify as the weakest link in your argument? What presuppositions does your view require? What sorts of objections might opponents raise against your argument or view? In other words, try to disprove your point of view. You will strengthen it in the process, or perhaps, change it if you discover the evidence points in another direction.
When discussing our views, it is also helpful to be transparent about the weaknesses of our argument, our presuppositions, and address objections that others have raised against it. People will appreciate your honesty and it often makes your case more convincing.
Thinking to Believe 
April 29, 2022 at 1:46 pm
Hello,
What are your favorite books/authors of Christian Theology?
Thank you
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April 30, 2022 at 9:45 am
I expressed a religious point of view with an ordained Pastor and he replied to me about how I would offend another Christian by saying what I did. This is almost exactly what the Jewish leaders told Jesus during His earthly ministry when He spoke about the Hypocrites. Actually, this happens often when I try to engage people in conversation about Christianity while I try to stick to God’ words as much as I can. Others seem to hold to the views they have been taught by their particular churches rather than what is clearly written in scripture. .
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April 30, 2022 at 10:15 am
that’s the problem …………. most people dont consider they could be wrong. even when you show them the error with their silly question they just ignore it.
even today ……… if a rccult member could prove Catholicism=biblically Christianity i’d stop being a Christian and return to my rabbinical Jewish studies.
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May 1, 2022 at 1:34 pm
This is the exact approach that I’ve used from my youth. I oppose criticizing a view that I do not understand. And the only way I can really understand it is to buy source material written by a view’s advocates and carefully considering its strongest arguments. And that’s partly how I came to be a Oneness, Pentecostal, holiness believing Christian.
A “home” example of what Jason writes about is the fact that many Oneness preachers and theologians have an aversion to classical theism, but they really don’t have a clue what it is. They’ve relied on caricatures from those who do not believe it and are comfortable rejecting it. They are thus bereft of a vital apologetic tool due to an unreasonable bias.
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May 31, 2022 at 7:52 am
This is the firsts post you’ve made that I agree with 100%, Jason. Nice. 🙂
“In other words, try to disprove your point of view. You will strengthen it in the process, or perhaps, change it if you discover the evidence points in another direction.”
This is precisely the most important part of the scientific method. It’s called falsification, and it (along with reproducibility by others to verify the results and spot potential bias, bad data, etc.) is precisely why science is so effective in figuring out explanations.
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