Truth
What is Truth?
If you want to know how complicated the answer is to this question, read or take a glance at this article about Truth in Wikipedia:
Common dictionary definitions of truth mention some form of accord with fact or reality. There is no single definition of truth about which the majority of scholars agree, and numerous theories of truth continue to be widely debated. There are many differing claims on such questions as what constitutes truth, how to define and identify truth, what roles do revealed and acquired knowledge play, and whether truth is subjective, relative, objective, or absolute. This article introduces the various perspectives and claims throughout history.
I think it's simpler than this. I believe there are some truths that are relative, and some that are absolute. A relative truth would be "The Iraq War was the right thing to do." This truth is relative because it is true or not depending on how you look at things. You might be right, or I might be right on this issue.
An absolute truth, though, would be "Saddam Hussein was evil." There is nothing relative about this truth. This truth is true regardless how many Sunnis believe Saddam was a hero. These Sunnis are wrong—absolutely, period.
The Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth
I have to admit that I have been somewhat naïve in writing this blog from the premise I've put forth.My premise has been to seek the truth, to tell the truth, and to promote the truth, regardless of how popular or unpopular that truth is; whether it helps a Democrat or a Republican; whether it flies in the face of conventional wisdom or not.
My naiveté has been in believing that telling the truth would make a difference.
This doesn't mean I am in despair. It does mean that I face the sober reality many have confronted in the past that telling the truth does not automatically invite popularity nor agreement. Ask Copernicus.
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Who Owns The Truth?
I'm not arrogant enough to believe that I possess The Truth on all issues. For example, my opinions on how we should conduct ourselves in Iraq are just my opinions. I admit I might be right, or you might be right. Especially in war, the unintended consequences can thwart all our plans at any time. I do feel pretty confident, though, about basic presumptions of war.
For example, about Iraq, I think you can boil all the positions down to two basic theories: that we withdraw and let the Iraqi's fight their own war; or that we stay and fight alongside the Iraqi's until they can fight for themselves. Nobody, I believe, is smart enough to tell definitively which approach is correct. Again, there are too many factors involved to be able to judge this for sure.
If we choose to stay and fight alongside the Iraqis, however, then I feel we can make a definitive judgment about a troop surge. If we're going to stay, the more troops we have the better, as long as we have a good plan about what to do with them. On this issue I feel I have captured The Truth.
I also feel I have captured The Truth about the demagoguery going on at this time. It appears obvious, from patterns of behavior past and present, that most Democrats are demagoging the war. Since to me demagoguery using a war to gain power is the most despicable evil, I have no respect for most Democratic leaders. Some Republicans are demagoging the war too. I have no love for them either.
Unreasonable Expectations
So, what am I trying to do, change human nature? Yes, I guess this is my fatal flaw.
What do politicians want? To get elected. What will they do to get elected? Anything, almost. They might not murder, but they certainly will demagogue. Can I blame them?
Then there are the voters. Why can demagogues pull the wool over their eyes so easily? Why can demagogues demonize George W. Bush, for example, and convince so many people to see him as evil? Why can they preach global warming so often that it becomes a religious tenet? Why can they discourage folks from appreciating the necessity of the Iraq War? How can they convince people that privatizing Social Security will rob them of their benefits? I could go on and on. The demagogues seem to be winning on a vast range of issues. They convince the voters that black is white, and vice versa.
Are the voters stupid? One might imagine so.
Truth versus Mendacity
I don't think it's useful to think this, though. I believe a better approach is to realize that we are in a constant battle of good versus evil; and truth versus mendacity. Copernicus was persecuted for believing that the earth revolves around the sun, but eventually the truth did get out. It got out because enough honest scientists eventually stated the truth repeatedly.
Some truth is readily apparent. Nazi Germany was evil, and this was obvious quickly. So, there was wide support for a war against them. Other truth takes years, or hundreds or even thousands of years, to become evident.
The Cassandra Complex
I often feel like Cassandra as I proclaim my truths.
Cassandra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: In Greek mythology, Cassandra (Greek: "she who entangles men") (also known as Alexandra) was a daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy whose beauty caused Apollo to grant her the gift of prophecy. However, when she did not return his love, Apollo placed a curse on her so that no one would ever believe her predictions.
This is exactly how I feel. I proclaim my prophecies, using some God-given ability; but, due to a God-given curse, I cannot convince most or even many in the world that these truths are true. It's maddening.
I am not alone, of course. Every proclaimer of truth faces the same reactions, whether it be Copernicus or Bill Kristol, my favorite neo-con. For some reason, God set it up that we must struggle to get the truth out. The truth will have many enemies. Many of my commenters, liberal and conservative, are battling to get the truth out, just like me. If they are sincerely proclaiming the truth, then they will one day face irrationality, greed, demagoguery, and even evil, which opposes that truth.
I wish them all well in their quest. I know how hard it is.
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The Truth, What is it Good For?
I don't mean to be overly dramatic, but the truth is dramatic. I also don't want to overemphasize my own importance. I am just a regular guy with an opinion. God is the ruler here, and He defines the rules. Life and God are bigger than all of us. Like everyone, I am blessed by God in some ways, and cursed in others. More important than anything I do or think is the actual truth. I am dedicated to it. Lives depend on it. The survival of our country and way of life depend on it.
The truth, what is it good for? Absolutely everything.
Rock
(*Wikipedia is always my source unless indicated.)
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Hi Rock, sorry to barge in
ReplyDeletebut I like your nav bar at the top
Hime ... ... ... Environ ... etc
Would you happen to have the code.
Will it accept Macromedia Dreamweaver code or does it have to be blogger specific. Thanks!
quasar9, the code involves some CSS and some HTML. It's a bit complicated, and I don't have it documented adequately--I make sure I save my Template copies and I bookmark the sites where the "hacks" come from. Go to Google and search "Blogger Beta hacks" and you'll get the sites I use, and somewhere in there will be a hack for "Labels". It won't be hard to find, as the good hack sites are not numerous.
ReplyDeleteRock
Ah, the "truth". You're right, the truth is dramatic and how we perceive/accept the truth is due to the playwrite. Here's the interesting thing about "truth": Had the Axis won WW2, we wouldn't be talking about how horrible the Nazis were and all the genocide they committed. Had the Confederacy won the Civil War, we wouldn't be talking about how horrible slavery and Jim Crow were and I wouldn't be sitting here typing a comment on your blog. Had Saddam been less of a pain to the US government for the last 10-15 years and more of an ally, chances are he'd still be alive today and his regime's atrocities would be unknown. Our perceptions on everything are based on how it's been presented. Had history turned out differently, we'd be having different conversations about right vs. wrong and good vs. evil. There's no telling how many global atrocities that have been committed and were undocumented/ignored based on good international standings. In other words, despite our quests, there is no "truth", just facts.
ReplyDeletehi rock! i haven't commented in a while, but i read. i had a run-in with one lib that sarge read. i never went there before but sarge asked me to read something and he was so mad, well, i went, and i got soooo mad i exploded. now i know i should not have done this, it is not like me at all, but the vile slimy lies spewing from this evil lying mouth so infuriated me i just, well, left a long winded really biting note and even blasted one of the commenters before me for HIS vile droppings. i just can't read this stuff. how do you do it all the time? i mean i can take a civil conversation about most anything and honestly most of my links are libs, they can't help themselves, they don't know any better, but this particular guy, well, not so much. anyway i told him he could delete the comment that i would never know as i would never be back. as a person, i am feeling bad about this. not that what i said was not the TRUTH, but that i was angry. you have my deepest respect for being able to calmly tell the truth and not shout it from the treetops like me. sigh... thanks for listening, and visiting! bee
ReplyDeletepaz, once again you illustrate the stark difference between liberal and conservative thought. We conservatives do not believe in moral relativism. Liberals do. If something is wrong, it is wrong, no matter who wins the war or controls the country. I know you say you are not liberal, but on this issue it seems you are.
ReplyDeleteMurder is wrong. Torture is wrong. Genocide is wrong. Period.
Thanks for your comments, paz.
Rock
Thank you Empress Bee. I've lost control sometimes on my blog too. I didn't feel good about it either, and have tried to avoid doing it again. Plus, I added comment moderation, so I don't have to accept really wicked comments. I had one guy who was really nasty. Anyway, thanks for the compliments.
ReplyDeleteI continue to feel you and Charlie are great bloggers, and I'll visit your sites more often I believe in the near future. I think I'm going to start posting once a week, because I just don't have time unless I do this.
Anyway, thanks again.
Rock
paz, I do want to say I understand what you are saying. Of course you're right, that if Hitler had won WWII, the official right and wrong would be different than now. My point is that the real right and wrong, and the real truth never changes--whether you live in Nazi Germany or our present U.S.A. Slavery is always wrong, no matter what the present culture says about it.
ReplyDeleteRock
You got my point (with regard to the Nazis) but you missed my point at the same time. I wasn't illustrating moral relativism, I was illustrating HISTORICAL relativism. My point was that, yes wrong is wrong regardless, however a "wrong" depends on the presentation. You and I agree that slavery is wrong, but you've got confederate flag waving Southerners who believe that it was up to the states to decide how their economy would be run- and if in included slaves- so be it. We believe that slavery is wrong because that is what we were taught. I believe starting a war with false/unverified/faulty information is WRONG, yet you don't. That would imply that Mexico could justifiably bomb us based on unverified information. This is RIGHT?
ReplyDeletepaz, you had me right up until the end of your last comments. The difference in this case is that 9/11 happened, and that's what made the scare about WMD's so scary. Plus, all the other reasons for wanting Saddam gone, like paying $25,000 to families of suicide bombers.
ReplyDeleteThanks, as usual.
Rock
Just so you know i was in a verbal battle with a jerk about his death meter he has on the sidebar, miss bee thought i needed some help. Truth, you are truth mr rock.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Rock, I can see that you got something stirred up. I've sat here for several minutes trying to gather my thoughts, but I have none at the moment. I can understand your reasoning for cutting back on your blog, you put a lot of effort into each day. The commitment you have shown so far is amazing. I know you have seeked others, including myself, to be guest bloggers and we haven't contributed as much as we would have liked. I have one or two saved as word documents but haven't expanded any further. We do appreciate what you have done here and continue to look forward to more from you. I believe you bring forward a much needed "town hall" gathering as it were, that we can exchange thoughts and opinions. Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sarge Charlie and Sgt Dub. I so much appreciate your kinds words. I'll comment further later today, but for now, have a great day.
ReplyDeleteRock