veritas universus

The Preamble: I get to have a lot of conversations with a lot of people and they're rarely about trivial or "light" topics. People who know me will laugh at that admission as something of an understatement. I've, often times, wondered seriously if that part of my personality was a flaw in my character and sometimes regret that I can't take a normal conversation to a pleasant and ultimately superficial end. But in these "heavy" or "deep" conversations I get to observe first-hand all kinds of human behavior. Because of the nature of the conversations, I get to observe the way people react to challenging ideas, new principles, or revolutionary theories. One of the most common threads I see with people in these observations is the refusal of any truth (to whatever degree of evidence) because of the messenger. If we, as people, don't like the person speaking - we're that much less likely to accept any truth from them.

The Case: Truth is universal. If it isn't universal then it can't be truth... it's something else. Something less. It applies to all people, all of the time. But there's also another aspect of the universality of truth: if your interest and sole loyalty is to the truth then all truth in the universe belongs to you. My friends have a saying: "all truth is our truth." It's a motto we have that we repeat to each other whenever we have to remind ourselves and each other that truth is truth, regardless of where it comes from. All of this is starting to sound kind of academic and "out of touch", I'm sure. Let me unpack this differently.

When a conservative pundit or politician gives statistical, accurate, and/or factual information about the medical dangers and long-term trauma associated with abortion, liberals should listen to that. Likewise, when Al Gore or some credible liberal scientist talks about the dangers associated with global warming (which are statistically proven - this planet is getting warmer) and urge that humans should make it an urgent and immediate priority to reduce carbon emissions, conservatives should listen to that. Liberals - as normal human beings with very normal human reactions - have a nasty tendency to immediately knee-jerk and refuse to hear the information that come from conservatives.This is true of conservatives as well (and we could debate for decades over who does it more, but that would be a complete waste of time.)

When Osama bin Laden says that U.S. foreign policy and our own greed as a nation (and as individuals sharing in the wealth of this nation) is responsible for the hatred we are experiencing the world over - we should listen to that. Not because we like Osama bin Laden or find him to be a credible person, but because the people that are doing the hating are all saying the same thing. If they all agree on the reason for their hate, then we should pay attention (if, of course, peace is something we would like to ever achieve).

When James Dobson says that families function best when you have a man and a woman in a stable, monogamous relationship producing children - we should listen to that. There is statistical information to corroborate that claim. We don't have to like James Dobson or what he stands for in general to accept the truth of his claim.

When Barack Obama addresses a convention of Christian ministers and says that American Christians "aren't reading their Bibles" and that their behavior and policy positions do not reflect the tenets and teaching of the New Testament - we should listen to that. Barack Obama may not be credible, he may not be a good person, he may be a "closet Muslim" (though the idea is truly ridiculous and laughable to anyone willing to see the truth)... he may not be someone we like, but we should listen to what he's saying because it's true.

All truth is our truth. A truth about the life of Jesus is just as easily spoken from the mouth of an atheist as it is from the Pope in Rome or Billy Graham. A true criticism from the outside is every bit as true (even if unwelcome) as a true criticism from within. A scientist talking about evolution is telling the truth, even when it seems to a religious person that this truth violates their traditions or sacred texts. A lesson on the cyclical nature of violence is true whether spoken by Ghandi or Christ. All truth belongs to us.

In this sense those of us that place a sole loyalty to the truth - outside of ideology or preference, or preconception - belong to a kind of fraternity. In a conversation with a friend of mine I described this idea as "the church of truth". We all belong to a corpus of individuals that are trying to approach this singular, universal, and objective reality from totally different places and viewpoints. In this way we're like kindred spirits - it's a dedication to the objective reality of truth that binds us all together. It, also, not only binds us to each other, but to every truth we can substantiate and every truth we can't - the still unseen and mysterious reality. It's a "church", in the original sense of the word, that transcends any kind of division between us. From race, to religion, political affiliation, nationality, economic background, social status, geography, education, and gender.

If truth is truly universal, and truth truly applies to everyone equally, then it is in truth (knowing it and living it) that we are bound together. It is the common foundation of all of the virtues - upon which all civil human interaction is dependent. It is the destination, the path, and the journey - both the means and the end. Truth is the reality which all humankind exists in and the light by which to see it.

"Anyone working and living in truth and reality is constantly drawing closer to the light so the work they do can be seen for what it is: divine." - Jesus (John 3:21)

"You will become increasingly intimate in your knowledge of what is true, and that intimacy with truth will liberate your entire being." - Jesus (John 8:32)

The Question: What truth are you rejecting becuase of the messenger bringing it? How do you respond to the idea of a "church or truth" that transcends all methods of division (including religion and culture)?