Truth? What is Truth?
Dear fellow pursuer of the Truth
#1
I have a habit of thinking about a third choice when I am presented with two. Because usually, the wise choice is usually neither of the extreme. I am not saying 'middle-way' is always the truth, but when dealing with the truth, the radical claim should be supported with enough evidence.
It was my life-time's goal to create something to help my atheistic friends consider the possibility they deny. And instead of choosing between 'what one group claims' and 'what the other group claims', I wanted to ask my friends to start the journey themselves, but rarely, the people lacking the needs in their peaceful time are likely to start that seemingly boring research.
When people lack the motive to pursue the truth, I think the least I can do is to present a data for comparison. If people concludes differently based on the same data, it is either one side is misinterpreting the data; or the data itself has the nature of multi-dimensionality, so it can be interpreted differently.
#2
At first, it saddened me that my first project was to investigate on the truth claim among the Christianity that causes division, but later, gratitude followed because it became the ignition of learning about the history of the Bible and the history of Christianity.
I hope you will be able to endure my non-professional writing and will be guided towards the Truth. Because the Truth matters.
#3
There is an objective reality. A ultimate reality. (Please don't say 'not in a multiverse' for now. Let's stay in this planet, and this universe where we have done some exploration and history)
And there is a subjective reality which only one can truly know and feel.
I am not merely talking about concept of the material world and the immaterial world which includes the meaning and spirituality, nor the observable and the unobservable.
In this era, we usually say something is realistic when we have evidences that help people reach the conclusion. But under the different perception of reality, people would reach different conclusion based on that difference of perception, and that perception affects the result in the reality.
If one believes that no amount of alcohol is harmful to one's health as long as it helps one with the stress because stress is much harmful, the scientific truth will bite him back one day, either with alcoholism or ruined lever. That's the reality of consequences in God-designed world.
#4
Here's one illustration of what I mean by subjective truth, or subjective reality.
Let's assume I won a lottery and decided to give a half of it to someone I secretly admired. (In this scenario, I am a 17 years old who are madly "in love". Not saying I am that young.)
And in this story, the object of my admiration (hereafter "X") has realistic understanding of my family background- that I am not from a rich family; and X has trust issues.
I put a million dollar in a public locker like some thriller movies where people leave important stuff to deliver. And I write to X, in a letter, that the money is there and I want X to have it, and the password of the locker.
Let's stop here for a moment.
The object truth, or fact, is that the money is in the locker for X to claim.
But if X doesn't trust the information, regardless of the object truth, my present will not become her possession. In other words, only the absence of money is X's reality. And that would be the subjective truth for X, sadly.
I am fully aware of the uselessness of arguing about subjective truth. And I want to establish the base-ground that my goal is to present the evidences towards the objective truth.
It is very easy to believe in this post-modernistic world that we can choose whatever we want, but every choice has its consequence. If our belief is not based on the reality, it may lead us towards very sad ending, sometimes.
#5
Contrary to many people's misunderstanding, true Christianity isn't about blind faith.
In Hebrew Bible, when God appeared to Moses, HE first appeared in the burning bush, a weird phenomena was present, as if to show Moses that 'this is an evidence that I am God'.
When Moses went to Pharaoh, God allowed Moses to show miracles, as if the evidences were to support Mose's request of 'let my people go'.
The Red Sea was parted to show the Israelites that God indeed is leading them out of Egypt; and the clouds and fire were there, as if to keep convincing them.
Gideon has a famous story asking God for 'evidence' and God answered.
For Prophet Isaiah, God showed the evidences of the fire, to let people know HE alone is God.
In New Testament, Jesus performed many miracles which helped his followers know that He is what he claims. Jesus didn't just come out claiming He is God, but he referred to scriptures that supports his claim-how He is the fulfilled prophesy.
Instead of claiming a spiritual resurrection, but He told the world that He would rise again. And instead of disappearing into thin air, He let the women came to see Him.
And He appeared to His disciples. Thomas, the skeptic like me, touched him and believed.
At last, He didn't just ascended to Heaven quietly, but he did that in front of five hundred people. (1 Corinthians 15:3-6)
After His ascension, the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost, if the name matters to you), came; the disciples experienced of fulfillment of His promise.
Paul had his share of incredible encounter which convinced him and Jesus is the God of the Hebrews followed. A indisputable evidence.
That's the basis of convictions the early disciples of Jesus had. That conviction must have encouraged the believers to follow Jesus' command.
Aren't all these evidences which helped the believers to have faith? Again and again, our God, has repeatedly provided the evidences which helped His people to believe in Him. He didn't request our faith blindly. Probably because He knows us.
And what do we have, as a generation who lives in 21st century? The biggest tangible evidence?
The Bible.
If you believe that the Bible is the word of God (a frequently used phrase sometimes misrepresented the characteristic of the Scriptures) Would God of the Bible not leave us with evidences of HIS words?
(sigh) I know. It sounds like a lot of work to dig up the history when we haven't even really read the whole Bible. Well, but if truth matters to you, I hope you can continue.
Don't be daunted because of the hint of the complexity you sense now. If what C.S Lewis said is right, that's what we will be facing in this journey, and that's the only way to know about the truth.
“...After all, real things are not simple. They look simple, but they are not.” (Mere Christianity)
Comments
Post a Comment