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Overcoming Bias Commenter's avatar

"...religions often expose children to a mass of details, as in religious stories. Smart children can be especially engaged by these details because they like to show off their ability to remember and understand detail."

off-topic: that would also describe proud parents telling their children know all about Star Wars or sports.

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Lincoln Cannon's avatar

I think that's possible, but it's not the explanation that I personally find most fair or satisfying. There are many ways in which you and I interpret our experience, based on the categories of thought we've inherited and the educations we've received and whatever might be our unique personal dispositions, that persons in a few decades or centuries (or simply from very different backgrounds) would be tempted to describe as simply "delusional". But, in at least some cases, those "delusions" would probably be better described as our reasonable best efforts to interpret our experiences within the context in which we actually find ourselves. This may become particularly relevant when dealing with unusual experiences, such as those claimed by Joseph.

Of course, superficially, it seems easy and not unreasonable to conclude that Joseph lied about having the experiences. And Joseph commented on at least one occasion that he wouldn't believe some of his claims had he not experienced them himself. But, for what it's worth, as someone who has extensively researched and read Joseph's writings and diverse accounts from first-hand witnesses of his words and actions, I do think the the strongest case is in favor of his general sincerity, whatever the case may ultimately be about the extent to which his interpretations of his experience end up matching our judgment of their congruence with reality.

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