What Is Truth

I have spent a great portion of my life separating the truth from the lies, and the reality from the illusions.

So, what is truth? I define it as: Making a decision based on a preponderance of evidence.

First of all, the search for truth is never-ending, and you can never truly find it. Understandably, many people prefer things in black and white, and that's why they are so willing to accept a pre-packaged dogma. But truth is always gray, and you can never pin it down.

For instance, once upon a time someone told me that a divine being wrote a book. Well, actually He told various authors, in various countries, over a span of hundreds of years exactly HOW to write it. And now we don't hear from the divine being anymore because everything he needed to say is in the BOOK. You just have to study the BOOK and He talks to you through the BOOK. And, oh yeah, the Torah is incomplete and the Koran is a false book, but, by golly, some people around here have the REAL BOOK.

In humble response to that, I must confide that my cat is an alien space probe. I know this as a fact because she follows me like a shadow around the house and she ALWAYS has to watch what I'm doing, whether I'm eating or going to the bathroom. My cat is definitely a space probe, and you can't prove that it isn't.

But, hey, the evidence and what I know about cats tells me that, well, maybe she's just a cat.

Information

Seven years ago it became apparent that Religion, Corporations, and Government are the three powerful forces always trying to control me. Each of them provide their own dogmas, and if you simply accept them without questioning, you've simply bit the bait and you won't find truth. Thus, you must QUESTION the dogma that your institutions feed you.

Don't get all your information from one source, like an obese drug addict or a college dropout radio personality. Always get your information from multiple sources, and then draw your own conclusion.

Don't accept a party platform, religious dogma, or TV ad without questioning. Read alternative news sources, talk to people, and get all sides of an issue. Then make your own determination as to what you think is TRUTH.

Multiple Sources

In 2003, the more I read about my religion, the more I realized that it lacked scientific, archeological, and historical evidence. On the other hand, the more I read about evolution, the more I realized that there is a MASSIVE amount of evidence to back it. Like others, I had outdated or incorrect notions about evolution, and when I really studied it I realized that it's completely real. So, the point being, get information from different sources to shape your world view.

Political persuasion

I've been called a liberal, Republican, socialist, and more. The fact is that I can't be pinned down politically because I'm all over the map. That's because I take every issue and weigh it on its own merits, and I don't let some talking head or political party sway me. Yes, I proudly lean left, but on occasion I'll actually agree with the righties.

Culture Food

Sadly, the vast majority of people where I live simply play the role that the Dominant Culture creates for them. For example, they go to church and are "religious," but at the same time they like nice cars, big houses, and are materialistic. Now, based on the teachings and life of Jesus, he was CLEARLY NOT materialistic. But, ho hum, who cares. The Yuppie rich Christians will simply ignore the parts of the Bible that inconvenience them, and continue running over slow possums with their SUVs. They never question what TRUTH is -- they just accept what they are told it is.

Parting Thought

The most beautiful gift I have in life is my open mind. Even as a kid I enjoyed looking at all sides of an issue, and often taking an unpopular side. I don't try to be righteous about it, I just don't let anyone or anything sway my opinions. I am pro-gay, anti-war, but fiscally conservative. I am pro-life and pro-science. I make no apologies for my positions, and at the same time, I don't push them on anyone. I simply believe what I believe to be true, based on looking at all sides of an issue, and trying to think it out.