For they are not a people of discernment, therefore their Maker will not have compassion on them. Isaiah 27:11.
If you listen to talk radio, the news media, official statements and the like you will quickly discover that the truth is somewhat harder to come by than one might imagine. In fact, I would say that it is kind of "up for grabs." Just look back on the Presidential debates that took place in the latter part of last year. Either one of the candidates said thus-and-so or they didn't. There is no middle ground. When Governor Romney said that President Obama told us one thing and the President claims he did not, then someone is lying...period. Either a budget plan is going to add trillions of dollars to our national debt and increase middle-class taxes or it is not. One of the other great points of conflict right now is global warming/climate change. Either the earth is getting warmer as a result of human endeavors or it is not. This is science, opinion shouldn't even be on the table. One news outlet says one thing while a different one says something completely different. Where is the truth.
Now, I could get into a lengthy discussion about absolute truth versus relativism but it might morph into a post all on it's own. However, I will try to briefly explain one particular philosophical idea that I believe will help in this discussion. There is something called "Correspondence Theory." In short, this theory states that what is true, is that which corresponds, or lines up with, reality. For example, I might say that my car is red. This would be true because it corresponds with the fact that my car is, indeed, red. If I claimed that my car was white a few possible assumptions could be made.
1). I am a liar, plain and simple.
2). I am color blind and my concept of reality is skewed.
3). I don't care about reality and just make it up as I go along.
Correspondence theory is fairly easy to grasp because it is something we make use of each and every day. We make statement and draw conclusions based on the world around us. Someone may push back and say that different people's definition of red may vary. This is quite true, however, it does not change the color of the car, it only changes the name which we call it.
Based on my limited experience with the media and politicians I would tend to lean towards assumption #1 from above when what they say doesn't seem to line up with what we see in the world. There is a simple explanation for this. They are not concerned so much with the truth as they are with promoting some kind of agenda, whether it be conservative, liberal or something in between. This is why the character trait of discernment is critical in our day in time.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and borrow a term from Rush Limbaugh. He often calls the vast majority of the population "low information voters." No matter what you think of Rush, I believe this is an accurate description of most of the voting populace. They take what a candidate or media network says at face value. If there is one thing we must never do, it is take what a politician says as truth! However, as the Bible points out, people will surround themselves with others who tell them what their itching ears are longing to hear. Let me give you an example. The other day I was driving along behind an aging Honda Accord. Prominently displayed on the rear bumper was an Obama '08 sticker. No problem, we see those all the time. As we continued on down the road they slowed and pulled into a rather decrepit looking mobile home park called "Freedom Park." Now before you get upset, I have nothing in the world against mobile home parks. There are very many out there that are nice and wonderful places to live. Nor, am I making an judgement call on this person's soul or character. However, I couldn't help but wonder if this person expected to still be living in squalor when they cast their vote in '08. There is clip after clip on the internet of people so excited that President Obama had been elected because they believed that all their troubles would be over. Now, five years later things are no better and the freedom that this mobile home park was advertising is quickly being eroded.
Why has this happened? Simply put, it is because people lack discernment when it comes to the truth. No further investigation is done when a campaign promise is made and no cares what the other side of the story might be on the news. The real problem is that the average person doesn't want to hear the truth. They are satisfied living in the bliss of ignorance.
I am not suggesting that Fox News, Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity are the soul proprietors of truth in our society. What I am saying is that the truth is out there and it is absolute and corresponds with the reality of the world. Our job, as conscientious citizens, is to find it and proclaim it. The sad reality is that some people are going to have to be taken to rock bottom before they admit their need for the truth and I am deeply disturbed because I wonder if that is not where we are headed in our nation.
Semper Libertas,
RV
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