The phrase "choose to believe" is often used in a moralizing sense. If someone say that I choose not to believe something, they imply that I have made a moral error in not following the correct path. But belief doesn't work like that. It isn't a matter of choice, you either believe or you don't.
A true choice would be 'chicken' or 'beef' for your airline meal. This is a true choice, you pick one or the other and it is possible to freely change your mind. I could even help you change your mind by offering you a sum of money to do so.
Contrast this with a choice between to witnesses who recall conflicting versions of an event. You listen to their evidence. It seems as though you have a choice of which one to believe, but this is a false analogy. You believe one or the other (or neither). The choice is not free, but bound to how credible and persuasive the witnesses are. Saying "I chose to believe witness A" is equivalent to saying "I believe witness A" or "I was persuaded by witness A". You cannot freely change your mind, and I cannot help you change your mind by offering money. Even if you are corrupt, and say you believe B, it will be a lie because you really believe A. The only thing that will change your mind is new evidence.
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