Comments on: How to Ensure Bias in a Presentation http://www.rayfowler.org/2007/03/14/how-to-ensure-bias-in-a-presentation/ Thoughts on God and life from a Christian perspective Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:41:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: King Herod’s Tomb Found? at Ray Fowler .org http://www.rayfowler.org/2007/03/14/how-to-ensure-bias-in-a-presentation/#comment-772 King Herod’s Tomb Found? at Ray Fowler .org Tue, 08 May 2007 14:38:53 +0000 http://www.rayfowler.org/2007/03/14/how-to-ensure-bias-in-a-presentation/#comment-772 [...] How to Ensure Bias in a Presentation [...] […] How to Ensure Bias in a Presentation […]

]]> By: The Jesus Family Tomb and Bayes’ Theorum - You Do the Math! at Ray Fowler .org http://www.rayfowler.org/2007/03/14/how-to-ensure-bias-in-a-presentation/#comment-247 The Jesus Family Tomb and Bayes’ Theorum - You Do the Math! at Ray Fowler .org Tue, 27 Mar 2007 21:33:52 +0000 http://www.rayfowler.org/2007/03/14/how-to-ensure-bias-in-a-presentation/#comment-247 [...] How to Ensure Bias in a Presentation [...] […] How to Ensure Bias in a Presentation […]

]]> By: Ray Fowler http://www.rayfowler.org/2007/03/14/how-to-ensure-bias-in-a-presentation/#comment-45 Ray Fowler Thu, 15 Mar 2007 14:06:42 +0000 http://www.rayfowler.org/2007/03/14/how-to-ensure-bias-in-a-presentation/#comment-45 Sharon, I agree that we all work from within a particular worldview. Hopefully we have arrived at that through careful thinking and are able to articulate that view to ourselves and to others. In fact, the better we understand our own worldview and how we got there, the better equipped we are to make careful judgments about other areas of life. In my post I was thinking more along the lines of smaller issues rather than overall worldview - how we often arrive at a position first, and then gather any evidence we can to support it, rather than looking at all the evidence and interacting with other viewpoints. As a pastor preparing to preach a passage of Scripture, it is important for me to try to hear what the passage is saying in context rather than trying to force it into my own preconceived notions. I don't have time for "peer review" between Sundays, but I can check my conclusions against reputable commentaries to make sure that I am not off base. And if I am teaching in an area where good Christians disagree, I can say that from the pulpit, while at the same time explaining why I have come to my own conclusions from the Scriptures. Sharon,

I agree that we all work from within a particular worldview. Hopefully we have arrived at that through careful thinking and are able to articulate that view to ourselves and to others. In fact, the better we understand our own worldview and how we got there, the better equipped we are to make careful judgments about other areas of life.

In my post I was thinking more along the lines of smaller issues rather than overall worldview - how we often arrive at a position first, and then gather any evidence we can to support it, rather than looking at all the evidence and interacting with other viewpoints.

As a pastor preparing to preach a passage of Scripture, it is important for me to try to hear what the passage is saying in context rather than trying to force it into my own preconceived notions. I don’t have time for “peer review” between Sundays, but I can check my conclusions against reputable commentaries to make sure that I am not off base. And if I am teaching in an area where good Christians disagree, I can say that from the pulpit, while at the same time explaining why I have come to my own conclusions from the Scriptures.

]]> By: Sharon Gamble http://www.rayfowler.org/2007/03/14/how-to-ensure-bias-in-a-presentation/#comment-42 Sharon Gamble Thu, 15 Mar 2007 01:55:46 +0000 http://www.rayfowler.org/2007/03/14/how-to-ensure-bias-in-a-presentation/#comment-42 It is much easier to work within our own comfortable positions. You are right. I read TIME magazine and WORLD magazine each week, trying to "hear" from different perspectives. I also belonged to a secular book club this year and was challenged, frequently, by people who did not share my viewpoints. However, as a Christian, who has made the decision to believe...I come to any situation with the "bias" of seeing it through the lens of Scripture. All of us have a starting point. I believe mine is the truth, but how is that not viewed as bias from someone outside the faith? Granted, within the Christian faith, I can come to the Scriptures seeking justification for a position and only select the passages that seem to support me instead of reading all the Scripture that relates to the topic. I guess my question is...can anyone truly approach a subject without a bias if they hold to a worldview?? We still need to guard against shoddy scholarship and it sounds like the lost tomb was full of that. Is that a different type of bias? It is much easier to work within our own comfortable positions. You are right. I read TIME magazine and WORLD magazine each week, trying to “hear” from different perspectives. I also belonged to a secular book club this year and was challenged, frequently, by people who did not share my viewpoints. However, as a Christian, who has made the decision to believe…I come to any situation with the “bias” of seeing it through the lens of Scripture. All of us have a starting point. I believe mine is the truth, but how is that not viewed as bias from someone outside the faith?

Granted, within the Christian faith, I can come to the Scriptures seeking justification for a position and only select the passages that seem to support me instead of reading all the Scripture that relates to the topic. I guess my question is…can anyone truly approach a subject without a bias if they hold to a worldview??

We still need to guard against shoddy scholarship and it sounds like the lost tomb was full of that. Is that a different type of bias?

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