The Search For Truth is Under Attack
What is truth in today’s day and age? If something is true, then all truth-seeking people should eventually arrive at it, in agreement. An unbiased, honest search for truth is always healthy. There have always been disagreements and conflicting viewpoints in politics, religion and morality in American culture. While we may have disagreed, it was usually under the assumption that there was only one truth, just that we differed on what that was. This was important to allow for meaningful dialogue. We could attempt to influence each other’s viewpoint in the spirit of open-mindfulness. In addition, if someone would make a solid case for something that we didn’t know or agree with, we would be open enough to modify our own viewpoint, and together move closer to ultimate truth.
Today it seems that more and more Americans hold tightly to their viewpoints at all costs, refusing to listen, grow or change. It is no secret that we are more polarized than ever, and that each side can easily find their daily dose of news and commentary that only supports their viewpoint.
The core of the issue is that fewer people are interested in searching for and finding what is correct and truthful. This is dangerous on many levels, and without an honest search for truth, there is no way to bridge the divide that plagues our society. What has led us to this place? The rise of moral relativism and the idea that each person / group “has their own truth” is ruining meaningful discussion, and threatening the country as a whole.
This may seem to be an overstatement, but the idea of multiple truths is intrinsically evil, willfully so, in that it is an affront to God and to His very nature. God himself is Truth, and all truth can be found in him. This is fundamental; there is no truth apart from God. Jesus Himself professed that he was “The Way, the Truth and the Life“. So to give up our quest for truth is to give up and turn from God, in favor of our own created beliefs and ways. This is idolatry at best, and satanic at worst. What are the results of this? Look around: strife, violence and madness abound within our political systems, and individuals are plagued by fear, anger and anxiety. None of these things are of God.
Things have gotten worse over the last few years, and increasingly so since the election. Big media and big tech have doubled down and recently hindered the search for truth. The process of banning, throttling, mocking and dismissing anything that it deems unacceptable is now commonplace. “Fact checkers” are appointed in an arbitrary manner in a thinly-veiled attempt to appear trustworthy, but this is so problematic and questionable that it is borderline insulting. Any opposing claims that are brought forth are simply referred to as being “debunked” without any defense given.
Note that this is not a blanket endorsement of left or right narratives. The search for truth only works when good ideas as well as bad ideas and falsehoods are freely presented and exposed. They can then be opposed and factually dismissed out in the open. Hiding and suppressing speech only leads to suspicion and frustration of not being heard, and is rarely effective in keeping it secret anyway. What is happening today should scare us all, and we should stand together in our refusal to accept it. In the end, it will hurt everyone, regardless of our religion or political leanings, and diminish the standing of the United States overall.
