I think we have generally been in the "post-truth" era. Rejecting evolution because it interferes with our attachment to a way of interpreting a holy book -- post truth. Or is it pre-truth? Rejecting the planet earth going around the sun because it doesn't square with our understanding of the sun "coming up" in the morning and "going down" in the evening -- post-truth or pre-truth? Rejecting women as equals with men because of cultural biases and their menstrual cycle -- post-truth or pre-truth?
I was told by a friend one Sunday morning that "I believe the Bible cover to cover!!!" (Yes, it sounded like three exclamations marks, but I confess I cannot prove them). I asked him if he had ever read the whole Bible. He said, "No." Hmmm. More non-truth nonsense, I should think.
The problem with truth is that we only see a bit of it at a time, and often don't know what to make of what we see. Darwin saw a bit of truth as did other scientists of his day, and followed it to a logical end. He was right, but only partly right because he didn't have more data.
Today we have more data, and are wondering about genetic evolution, the evolution of thinking itself, and whether we are in the midst of evolution as more and more women have C-section birth experience and more babies are "too big" for the birth canal. Too soon to say, but . . .
The Trump phenomenon is only a blip in the non-truth story. He tells one "truth", denies it a few hours later, then tells another. And the people who aren't really committed to searching for truth love him. No surprise. People who fear medicine don't get shots for their kids, people who fear differentness slam folks of other races, colors or religions, people who fear change deny even the truth about their own "good old days". I recall one lady who told me once that the only thing good about the good old days were that they were gone. She had barely survived the Depression of the thirties and World War II. Good old days . . . for who?
Truth to tell, a few people grew in compassion, expanded their vision, got better jobs than farming dust bowl acreage. Others didn't grow, didn't deepen, didn't prosper. What's the truth about the good old days we love to Tweet and Email and Blog about? Or have talk radio shows with people calling in to? It seems that even our Alt-Right folks don't really want ALL that went into the good old days. Nor do they want ALL that truth has to show us.
Then there is Jesus. Whether he said it or not, he is credited with saying, "I am the truth." He examined his faith and found substantial parts of it lacking. He took on his biases and healed a Gentile woman's child. He ended up poorly, by most modern standards, not by blowing people up or electing Fascist fear-mongers, but by changing and growing and trying to be faithful to the bits of truth he was discovering.
Faith is not belief in nonsense. It is a commitment to search, research (search again) and think to make sense out of what we find without being dogmatic that we have found "IT" and nothing more needs to be explored.
What do you think? In what ways are you committed to truth even when it disrupts your beliefs?
