Handling truth is a daily
task for every person. Determining what
is true would seem to be important since it impacts the foods we eat, the
medicines we take, the politicians we vote for, the conversations we have with
those around us, and everything else.
How many classes on “truth”
are offered? There are some elements in
math classes in secondary schools as well as logic and philosophy classes in
college, but most people just arrive at some system for determining truth that
seems to work and move on. That DIY (Do
It Yourself) approach is apparent on many levels from views on candidates
running for office to the way the news media presents a story to the
acceptability of a tweet, email or Facebook post.
What is helpful to me in the handling of truth is using a
test. It can get complicated, but this
is the quick way to use it. First, check
the data as best you can. Sometimes you
have time to really dig in and sometimes you have to keep moving. So, as best you can determine the evidence
available. Does what is being presented
meet the facts? And, if so, it is a good start.
Second, look for
contradictions. For example, a physical
object can’t be in two places at the same time. To make a statement that says Joe was at 12th
and Washington at noon on Tuesday and at the same time he was at 36th
North and Monroe at the same time is a problem. Check to see if the statement being looked at
is logically consistent. Again, there
are ways of getting technical which may be necessary at times, but as best as
you can determine may have to be the way to go about it most of the time.
Third, check for
reality. This is a practical
element. How can this be lived out in
the real world? Fantasy is great
entertainment, and can even illustrate truths but it isn’t part of the real
world. Handling truth includes running
statements or considerations through a practical grid.
A warning for truth handlers. Preconceived notions and emotional leanings
influence everyone’s approach to truth and how it is determined. This is where the idea of every person having
their own truth came into play. Think
about that one. Imagine the cashier at
McDonald’s telling me I owe $12.93, and I hand over $3.00 because that is my
truth. Really? My feelings about my truth or someone else’s
truth don’t enter in to the exchange of cash.
It is what it is.
Testing one’s own preconceptions and emotional leanings is a
great thing to do. It is almost
impossible to get out of our own skin long enough to work through those things,
but it is worth it. Maybe you have heard
of the woman who prepared the Thanksgiving ham by cutting off the two ends
before sliding it into the oven. One
Thanksgiving her daughter asked her why she was cutting off the ends. She explained that her mom had always done it
that way, and that is why you do it.
Curious, she called her mom and asked why she had cut the ends off. Her mom said the pan she had was short and
she had to cut the ham down to size.
Preconceptions can leave us a little short.
A fourth test is to compare with Scripture. The Bible provides a relevant and helpful
means of evaluation. A modern view of a
person is narrowed down to chemical composition, electrical impulses, collected
memories in the DNA and in the process of growing up. That person dies and the lights go out. A body is left with the elements that it had
when alive. But electrical impulses alone
cannot keep the body going. If they
could, then we would find people around us celebrating their 300th
birthday. We don’t because it isn’t just
a chemical, mechanical, electrical process.
The Bible tells us we are made up of material and immaterial parts, a
body, soul and spirit. That model of a
person seems to fit the data, it is logically consistent and fits with
reality. The book of Proverbs says, Fear of the LORD is the foundation of
wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. Proverbs 9:10
(NLT) The Bible provides information
about the Lord and that is greatly helpful in having wisdom and good judgment
so this is an important part of the test of truth.
Scripture has critics and skeptics and non-believers that is
true. But it is for those who have an
interest in including the Scriptural test of truth that I direct these
thoughts. As humans we function in many
ways that can be feeling oriented to ultra-rational. Including the Scripture in our evaluations of
truth doesn’t mean we do away with our normal way of processing. We may even operate on a scale from one end
to the other but still within the scope of Scripture. It may be at some point, however, that the
Scripture is left out of the equation altogether as we lean on our own
understanding. This illustration shows
the scale on either side of the Scripture.
Submitting our personal approach to the Scripture allows a
spiritual formation to take place. It is
part of the process of handling the truth.
The test for truth includes getting the facts, checking for logical
consistency, putting it to a practical evaluation and comparing it to
Scripture. Although this may sound
rather tedious it may surprise you as being beneficial and even fun.
Jesus said it well, “ And you will know the truth, and the
truth will set you free.” John 8:32 (NLT)
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