Concept of Truth

If there were no constancy, no faithful reliability how could there be an almighty God?  If His word was not steadfast and dependable, then why bother understanding it since such an understanding would be not be dependable?  In the Old Testament the words ‘true’ and ‘truth’ nearly always imply reliability, steadfastness, faithfulness, fixed, unchanging, etc.  Most of the Old Testament usages of the word ‘truth’ are in used this sense.  It is this concept of truth that I think is most important to understand and observe.

The original concept of ‘truth’ (reliability, constancy) differs from many of the modern dictionary primary definitions which say that truth is essentially the extent to which something conforms to reality.  This places ones perception of reality as the standard by which any particular truth claim is then set against.  In this modern definition, truth starts off as subjective and then deteriorates from there.  This definition is a more convenient definition for educational institutions since reality is generally considered a matter of perspective (in other words, reality is subjective therefore truth is subjective).  If you can get people used to using this concept for the word ‘truth’ then you can now propose things which have no foundation in logic or science and label them as true (at least in so far as such ‘truth’ can be relied on).  For example, you can introduce ‘big bang’ and ‘evolution of man’ theories as though they are as valid as any logically or scientifically established premise or theory.  Look at any educational institution in America and you will see that this is true! (in the sense of ‘not false’), even at the university level!

‘Evolution’ and ‘big bang’ are actually mentioned along side ‘logic’ and ‘scientific method’, ‘relativity’ and ‘quantum mechanics’, as though they stem from the same reliable thought processes.  Obviously, relativity and quantum theory are based in logic and scientific method.  They can be proven mathematically.  You can’t say the same for evolution and big bang which are based on fanciful imagination, observation, and circumstantial evidence.

  Consider this Example:  It is true that some stars move much more quickly than others and some of those even stop going in the direction that they were going and reverse direction.  We can even provide time lapse photos that prove that this has occurred.

A statement like the one in the above example are the same type of observation used today to argue apparent ‘truths’ like ‘evolution’.  For the benefit of those who didn’t figure out the apparent ‘truth’ of the example above, what appear to be stars upon first examination are actually the planets (which when observed from earth actually seem to change speed and even direction).  This kind of error is more likely to happen when you fail to observe all reasonable and logical explanations and instead approach things with presumptions and preconceptions which is a common stumbling block for everyone.

When you exclude other reasonable /logical possibilities you limit your ability to understand the truth (in the sense of ‘actuality’) of a matter.  This can even persuade you to believe that truth is subjective simply because you committed yourself to a limited perspective (usually what you can see with your eyes)!  There are actually several terms for this type of failure, one of them being modern liberalism.

In short, if Truth does not exist then why would you observe rules or laws?  In fact, if you didn’t belief in the existence of Truth (by this concept of it) then wouldn’t following rules be irrational if not an exercise in insanity?

Some people believe that truth does not exist, others say that truth is subjective (which is essentially the same as believing that it doesn’t exist).  But truth does exist and it can be demonstrated logically.

Here are a couple of observations on Truth:

• Truth is unchanging, reliable, constant
• Truth exists
• Truth requires no acknowledgement
• Truth is objective, not subjective
• Truth is independent of time, being without beginning or end

The Bible says “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.” Matt 24:35  This means that God’s Word is Truth!

Consider God’s ‘first words’ according to Gen 1:3  “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”  At the first occurrence of God speaking, light appears and illuminates those parts of creation that are able to perceive/receive it.  The darkness and confusion that engulfed the earth in the previous verse now have a remedy which is Truth and Light.  God’s Word illuminates.  God’s Word dispels confusion.  God’s Word enables understanding.  God’s Word provides a view and an access into eternity.

Consider again John 1:1-5,9 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not… That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. ”  Notice how closely these verses parallel the beginning verses of Genesis.  Jesus is the Word of God.  Jesus is Light.  Jesus brings the gift of Grace through faith. Jesus offers eternal life through faith in His Word (which is Truth and Light).  When you take part in Truth, you take part in something eternal and reliable/trustworthy.  Genesis 1 is not some quick, meager condensed astronomy lesson that so many people believe it to be.  It is an introduction to Grace through Faith in Truth which is God’s illuminating Word intended to bring the world out of darkness and confusion by offering redemption through Christ His Word.

Seek Truth!

Either Life Is Spiritual Or It Is Meaningless

A person who does not believe in God might make the following statement:

‘Only with the necessary chemicals making the necessary bonds can there exist the feeling of being alive.’  This is another way of stating what the evolutionist /atheist believes.   In fact, they probably don’t even consider that far into their own beliefs to realize it.  But!; if they did, this is what they would boil it down to – ‘Some chemical reaction has created in my mind the illusion that somehow I/my life is important or worth pursuing.  Oh, and the same for the people around me.  Together, these temporary chemical interactions make us important… somehow‘.

So by their own definition, life (or the feeling of being alive) is just a chemically dependent illusion. Also, every other life outside of their own is an illusion as well (an illusion based upon their own illusionary existence, illusions created by illusions in a sense).  Now admittedly, this second notion (that everyone else is just an illusion) isn’t so far fetched.  We do have dreams after all, and we believe that those characters and situations in those dreams are imaginary.  The moment we awaken those characters become ‘imagined’.

In the atheistic world, each person (by their own estimation) is pointless or temporal at best.  And on this belief (and don’t be misled, this is their belief) they base the value of all experiences, people, and other living things.  Why waste your life in pursuits that are not self serving?  And after all, there really is no cost to anyone else (and therefore yourself) if you choose to pursue your own pleasures.  As an example: Unless having children is among your goals in life (temporary and pointless as they are), why waste your already pointless life with a meaningless pregnancy and raising pointless children.   Simply continue pursuing your own self interests instead.

This is actually the most virtuous attainment they (the athiest/Godless) are capable of.  The other possibilities, if true, are unthinkable and even horrifying.  Because, if (unbeknownst to them) they are actually spiritual beings then they are lost at best, or darkly influenced, or even worse, themselves dark spirits.   Could Planned Parenthood, for example, exist if there were only believers in the spiritual world? –  Unless!,  unless those believers were themselves dark spirits or heavily influenced by dark spirits, an unthinkable or undesirable truth that they hope is not determined and everlasting.

If spirits exist, do plants and animals have them?  Is one spirit of greater or lesser value than another?  Where is value and what is valuable?  Can temporary things be of value?

If the atheist allows himself to consider a spiritual existence independent of the physical one, then they find themselves in the position of having to address what happens when the physical body is no longer able to house the spirit?  Does it go into a state of confusion much like what is described in the opening verses of Genesis?  Does it retain it’s memories after the death of the physical brain?  Does a spirit of the dead experience fear, loneliness, desires, happiness?  Did it begin it’s spiritual existence at the birth of it’s physical body?, conception?, or prior to either of those?  Is time even valid? 

If you don’t exist as a spirit then is it possible to fear death?  Why would people fear death if there is not spiritual existence?  After all, if you came from nothing then there is nothing to fear, right?  And yet people fear death.

If life is merely a chemical existence then good and evil are merely the happenstance products of chemical reactions.  If one person’s negative reactions lead them to begin a holocaust then they are blameless in so far as they were powerless over said chemical reaction.  In other words, Hitler was merely carrying out a different version of correctness from someone else’s version of what is right.  Or!, is it that the victims or persons experiencing/perceiving such holocaust are simply unable to appreciate the actual pleasantry/good of it?  Isn’t it fair to say that in our generation, only godless (self professing spiritless) people hold such views?  And yet all the while, they are among the most rigid supporters of this “pointlessness” of establishing laws/rules which are foundationless in the absence of Truth.

In a chemical existence, there is no expectation of reliability.  Reliability would merely be a chemical illusion and therefore there is no remedy for confusion (The remedy for confusion requires that reliability (Truth) exists).

If there is no reliability, then there is no Truth.  And therein lies the scary part:  Truth Exists… which makes this a spiritual world.

Seek Truth