Truth

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Truth

Let’s define truth:  A faithful representation of the facts.  The definition of truth has gone through a transformation in recent years.  What we imagine is often now regarded as truth.  So, fantasy can be truth which really muddies the water when talking about reality or the facts.

When I am sleeping, I can have dreams that seem very true to me, but they are not consistent with facts.  I have run in recent dreams, something I haven’t done in many years.  I once was riding in a car with Benjamin Netanyahu, the former Prime Minister of Israel, in my dream, but it was not fact even though it was real to me.

Truth is something external that we discover, not something internal that we create.

For instance, if I determined internally that I was a dog, what’s true for me? Would it be all right for others to put me on a leash, or shock collar, and feed me only dog food?  That is considered humane for dogs. Or is my doghood not really “THAT” true?

Or if I identify as a deer.  I created my internal ‘truth’. Would it really be all right to shoot me and eat me since that is legal to do with deer or is this a different truth than factual truth?

When I was in high school, we had a student that said he was a tree.  So he would stand in the hall before school and between classes doing his tree dance. He identified as a tree.  Is that truth?  Would it have been ok to bring chainsaws and cut him into firewood or was his internally created truth not really true?  Was his imagination a faithful representation of the facts?  Trees have characteristics consisting of true substances he didn’t have, wood and leaves to name just 2.  Roots?  Ok I’ll stop.

Because one identifies as something or someone does not make it truth. It must faithfully represent the facts!

  • (Excerpt from article) In defining truth, it is first helpful to note what truth is not:
  • Truth is not simply whatever works. This is the philosophy of pragmatism—an ends-vs.-means-type approach. In reality, lies can appear to “work,” but they are still lies and not the truth.
  • Truth is not simply what is coherent or understandable. A group of people can get together and form a conspiracy based on a set of falsehoods where they all agree to tell the same false story, but it does not make their presentation true.
  • Truth is not what makes people feel good. Unfortunately, bad news can be true.
  • Truth is not what the majority says is true. Fifty-one percent of a group can reach a wrong conclusion.
  • Truth is not what is comprehensive. A lengthy, detailed presentation can still result in a false conclusion.
  • Truth is not defined by what is intended. Good intentions can still be wrong.
  • Truth is not how we know; truth is what we know.
  • Truth is not simply what is believed. A lie believed is still a lie.
  • Truth is not what is publicly proved. A truth can be privately known (for example, the location of buried treasure).

 

Why did Jesus say He was the truth? https://www.christianity.com/jesus/is-jesus-god/names-of-jesus/how-is-jesus-the-truth.html

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