When Is It Irresponsible to Validate Fears?

[Feynman]

I’m going to assume from the silence that the EBT’s say nothing specifically directed to validating fears.

IMO the ethics of right speech may be implicated.

I assume the problem with validating fears has to do with a judgement that the validation is incorrect or misleading.
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Regarding the Reflecting on Rebirth: An Understanding That Can Go Beyond Faith and Theory thread. I shared a critical view based on my experience about rebirth and it was welcomed. I did so in the spirit of sn36.21; of what “one can know for oneself”.

Reflecting on Rebirth: An Understanding That Can Go Beyond Faith and Theory

If I was told “you must believe in rebirth in order to be a good Buddhist” I wouldn’t have taken refuge. My direct, personal experience of rebirth is as a intellectual concept. I have other direct, personal experiences in the path.

@Feynman

Most of what I think of as the core teachings of the EBT make so much sense of my experience. Other aspects such as the descriptions of the janas I can related to because I’ve had glimpses and quick “tastes” of those experiences.

Then when I get to rebirth it’s like the vision of the dharma flies into a void. fades to black. There isn’t much there in my prior experience that relates to it. It’s like “inviting” a bell – with each new strike invites a clear, ringing sound that seems to sing of enlightenment – and then the bell is removed and the mallet strikes the ground.

I liken it [rebirth] to hearing other persons stories of vivid out-of-body-exeriences (OOBE). I never had one so it’s a matter more of intellectual interest rather than one of shared experience.