MORE ON TRUTH–Don Hanley’s blog #83

Inspired by my blog post “What is Truth?” My blog editor and technology mentor, Patrick Ball, wrote a fascinating article titled “Tapestry of Truth.” Below is a portion of his article that is excellent, helpful, and worth reading. Patrick states that gathering information and truth is like weaving a tapestry; and each of us has a unique tapestry and one that is, hopefully, ever-changing. Please read on.

“When you believe in your worth, you're less likely to compromise your values, including honesty.”

Think of it this way: If our tapestry is woven with threads of negativity, cynicism, and fear, it becomes a breeding ground for deception. When we are constantly bombarded with messages of distrust, we may be more inclined to distrust others and resort to deception to protect ourselves. This can lead to a distorted view of reality, where truth becomes subjective and changes to serve our interests.

Conversely, a tapestry woven with threads of love, compassion, and encouragement fosters trust and honesty. When surrounded by people who value truthfulness and embody it in their lives, we are more likely to internalize those values and incorporate them into our interactions. This creates a framework for understanding truth as a shared value, essential for building strong relationships and a just society.

However, even with positive input, we must be mindful of Confirmation bias. This cognitive bias leads us to selectively absorb, remember, and repeat information that confirms our pre-existing beliefs while disregarding or downplaying information that contradicts them. This can significantly limit our perception of the facts and distort our thinking, making it difficult to arrive at objective truths.

Our daily habits and choices about how we spend our time and energy also significantly impact on our relationship with truth. Do we cultivate habits that nourish our minds and souls, such as reading, learning, and engaging in meaningful conversations? Or do we succumb to distractions that dull our minds and erode our critical thinking skills? Critical thinking is essential for evaluating information, identifying biases, such as confirmation bias, and discerning truth from falsehood.

Look around you now. What do you see? Do you feel that honesty, sincerity, and compassion reflect the times? Or are you discouraged, frustrated, and angry with the misinformation that's being spread?

The tapestry of our world is constantly evolving, woven with the threads of our collective choices and actions. We have the power to weave threads of truth, compassion, and understanding into the fabric of our society. We can nurture critical thinking skills, challenge misinformation, and actively seek out reliable sources of information. We can choose to be a force for truth, not just in our own lives but in the world around us. 

The tapestry of our world is constantly evolving, woven with the threads of our collective choices and actions. We can choose to weave our beautiful tapestry of truth, one thread at a time.

However, be warned: many today are deceived by the allure of wealth and power, promising to help you with all your troubles. These voices often exploit our fears and anxieties, manipulating our emotions to align with their agendas. They prey on our confirmation biases, offering simplistic solutions and pre-packaged narratives that confirm our existing beliefs, regardless of their accuracy. We remain vulnerable to these influences until we cultivate the inner strength to challenge our assumptions, examine the information we consume critically, and seek truth with humility and open-mindedness.

We can be a force for truth in our lives and the world around us. By cultivating critical thinking skills, challenging misinformation, and actively seeking sources of reliable information, we can weave a tapestry of honesty, integrity, and understanding that will guide us toward a more just and equitable future.

If you have any comments for Patrick, follow his blog, On the Fly. Just click the link . . . 

So now look at your tapestry and edit it as you continue life's journey and eat only at the banquet of life, not the menus.

WHAT IS TRUTH? – Don Hanley’s blog #80

When I was about six years old, I was told everything in the Bible, and somehow i expanded that to all adults and whatever they told me. I believed everything they said or wrote was true. The first biblical creation story was about the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, and everything in the Bible was true. I was in college before I learned there were two creation stories. Wait a minute; they cannot both be true, so why was I only told about the Adam and Eve story?

Now I believe it was because it was ‘sexier’ (that is, a more exciting and interesting story). I told a friend who was what I called a ‘bible thumper’ – one who believes that every word in that good book is the absolute truth dictated by God Himself – and she said she didn’t think there were two stories. I asked her to read the first three chapters of the bible to see. Later, I asked her if she found the second story. She nodded but never said a word or ever brought it up again. And I believe most of us prefer to continue to believe what we were told by our beloved early teachers, like parents, grandparents, and other trusted and loved ‘teachers,’ rather than change our minds.

Truth (I believe) means that written or spoken words reflect reality as we see it and/or understand it. Truth is not the reality but reflects reality in words – written or spoken. Most Christians believe that the Bible is a book that reflects reality, and if he or she is a ‘true believer,’ all Bible words are actually part of reality. So, God created the world and everything in it in six days, and then He rested on Sunday. Some believers claimed that the word ‘day’ could also mean an era or any length of time, not just 24 hours. Anyway, I wanted to ask John and Mary what Jesus had to say about ‘the truth.’

I joined Mary, John, and Joshua that evening in Mary’s flower garden. After we exchanged pleasantries, I asked John what he thought about biblical truth. At that time, biblical truth meant only the Old Testament because the book we call the New Testament had not yet been written. John was probably the most literate of the apostles—at least until Paul was accepted into that august group.

He said, “The sacred writers or oracles as most of the pages were passed down through the ages orally as few could read and, of course, the majority still cannot. Anyway, the truth to be conveyed was what they believed Yahweh intended to convey. For example, there are two creation stories, and the basic message is that we are to believe that Yahweh is the one and only God and He created everything and everyone. The most interesting story is the most delightful about Adam and Eve. Of course, it doesn’t make sense that everyone was descended from one couple. And I think the prevailing belief, over the years, is that Yahweh is a benevolent God, and if we are estranged from Him, it is our fault, not His, because he is always positive and wishes us to be good and positive too.”

I responded, “It seems quite unfair to believe that all the good things that happen in our world are the work of God, and all the bad or evil things that are done are caused by us creatures. Did Jesus ever talk about this? And what would Jesus say about his followers saying that some of his words were the ABSOLUTE TRUTH? And–we must believe them to be with him in heaven?” I waited for their responses.

John rubbed his chin, and Mary looked thoughtful. John finally said, “I am sure that Jesus DID NOT want anything he said to be considered the ABSOLUTE truth and more than thoughtful guidelines. I suppose some ideas come across as true and seem to be true, and now, I‘m trying to remember if Jesus ever talked about it. I believe in Yahweh's goodness and can’t imagine Him creating evil. Right now, I can’t remember ever discussing this with him.” John turned to me and added, "You know Don, you bring up ideas that I don't think we ever even talk about around here. You should have been with us when we visited the Greek philosophers. Now they did talk about a lot of these things and, now that I mention them, I remember Jesus saying that he thought that they should spend more of their time figuring out how to live in a more peaceful and caring world. I guess he wasn't interested in  philosophy.

Mary, still looking thoughtful, added, “The only thing I can remember Jesus saying about the deepest beliefs was that it was all a great mystery, and the clearest things he ever said that I heard are what he said from that horrible cross; "Yahweh, why have you forsaken me?’" And then, Father, “Into your hands I commend my spirit.” I guess he and we will have to live with the mystery of all this. I’m satisfied with the truth that there is one true God, and he is our loving Father. If we love Him and one another, we will be with Him for an eternity. And I don’t know what eternity is – only that it is blissful and wonderful. I like that TRUTH. And I hope you do also.” 

I loved what Mary said, and I took a deep breath and disappeared. Now . . . 

 Keep your mind and heart open, and do not merely ponder the written or spoken words but stay connected to your family and friends.