The Error of Refusing to Accept Your Error

In the classic "Star Trek" episode "The Changeling," the Enterprise is faced with Nomad, a robotic probe that is out to destroy all flawed beings and has the firepower to do it. Kirk eventually wins by showing Nomad that it has made a mistake, too, at which point it blows itself up (http://youtu.be/3ml2_FkNR90?t=44m16s).  (He does much the same to the computer Landru in "Return of the Archons," and the M5 in "The Ultimate Computer" — when you have schtick that works, stick to it).

People are afraid of making mistakes. Especially important people. Especially important people who have built a reputation on never making mistakes.  Healthy ones respond to this fear with humility, acceptance of imperfection, seeking forgiveness, and moving on. "Go and sin no more," as Jesus put it.

And then you have folks who don't.

The attached Fred Clark story tees off another fine story here (http://www.religiondispatches.org/books/sexandgender/7923/the_story_behind_the_catholic_church_s_stunning_reversal_on_contraception/) on how the Catholic Church in the early 60s was on the verge of formally okaying the use of modern birth control methods. A stacked panel put together by John XXIII (stacked against changing church policy) ended up coming out strongly in favor of it.  Paul VI … discarded their decision, and went with a minority report that led to his 1968 Humanae Vitae, which basically said sex is for procreation, and removing that linkage is wrong (and which came out only a couple of years after Kirk demonstrated on multiple occasions the dangers of not being able to admit and deal with your mistakes).

Clark looks in more detail at that Minority Report, leading to the headline below. I wouldn't call it stupid as much as bull-headed.  While the theology can be argued about, the report's writers boiled things down like this:

1. The Church cannot change its policy because the Church is never wrong. That's why it's the Church, after all, instituted by God and therefore obviously always correct (or at least correct in this case).

2. The Church cannot be wrong because then we'll have condemned folks to Hell in error, and that is unthinkable. Since the Church feels has been given the authority to reward or punish (Matthew 16:13-19), if they change their mind on something it has huge, and rather awful, implications.  That's too painful to admit (I call it their Luke Skywalker moment http://youtu.be/BwvnRneMHiY?t=1m52s)

3. The Church cannot change its policy, admitting it was wrong, because then people would begin to doubt the Church's moral authority. Aha! Even a charitable reading can only be interpreted as "We have to stick with a lie because otherwise they won't believe us when we try to tell them a truth later."

The Church (or at least the writers of the Minority Report) set things up for a massive failure in this, just like with Nomad. Error is impossible. Even if it were possible, it would be horrible to contemplate. Even if it were contemplated, it would be too dangerous to admit.

Institutions, individuals, or robots that take that path, eventually blow up.