Sins of the Tongue

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JMJ

In the years since Rome started to compromise its position and acquiesce to the SSPX's conditions, there's been a fair amount of vile words cast against the SSPX Superior General.   Not to mention against anyone who tried to be a voice of reason.

The same thing can happen whenever someone holds a belief so strongly that they get violent when something or someone does not agree with their belief.

When a person goes 'irrational' attempts to rationally discuss their belief results in them holding it even more and starts the cognitive dissonance death spiral (Fig 1). Since changing the belief would require an alteration in their behaviour, the 'irrational' person will resort to altering their perception of the belief.

Fig 1: Cognitive Dissonance Model with Confirmation Bias Death Spiral

Why is the confirmation bias a 'death spiral'? 

Because a person who alters their perception of an action by resorting to confirmation bias is cutting themselves off from any information the dis-confirms their belief.

One way to detect a confirmation bias death spiral is that the expression of the belief escalates.

For example, because Bishop Fellay dis-confirmed the 'resistance' narrative of an imminent betrayal by basically following Catholic Principles.

Those of us who are still rational have noted that it is now 18+ years since the rumours of 'betrayal' were uttered by various 'resistors' young and old.  

There is one thing that is consistent, in order to re-affirm their beliefs resistors have to amp-up the narrative every time it is dis-confirmed and seek affirmation by gaining "believers".  In doing so they commit a number of sins. More often than not, they will resort to two specific sins: Detraction and Calumny.

Detraction: The unjust damaging of another's good name by the revelation of some fault or crime of which that other is really guilty or at any rate is seriously believed to be guilty by the defamer. Catholic Encyclopedia: Detraction

Calumny: The unjust damaging of the good name of another by imputing to him a crime or fault of which he is not guilty.Catholic Encyclopedia: Calumny

The difference is simple a person is accused of a 'crime' or sin of which they may or may not be guilty.

The effect in both cases is the same: The damage to the reputation of the person in question.

That is the litmus test: Do the stories (true, lies or half-truths) damage the reputation of someone else?  

If the stories fail this test, plug your ears and run away screaming, because this kind of sin if a contagious virus.

P^3