Personal Incredulity and The Spirit: Why Experience Matters in Discernment

Have you ever been in an argument with someone about an interpretation of Scripture or a miraculous claim only to be greeted with any of these counterpoints:

“That seems farfetched to me.”

“I’m not convinced.”

“I’ve never heard that before.”

These are examples of a logical fallacy known as “personal incredulity.” Personal incredulity is an a priori judgment on the inherent value of an argument or position based on what seems rational to one’s own sensibilities. In the context of interpreting the Bible, personal incredulity can be as obvious as one disagreeing with certain practices because they’ve seen abuse in the Church or claiming that no “reputable” or “meaningful” scholar could agree with the argument you are presenting.