Trumping The Truth
Why do we believe the things we believe to be true? For many of us, our religious beliefs, probably our most fundamental of “truths”, are passed down from our parents and through our ancestors, and supported by others of the same faith in the communities in which we live.
Many of us fall in line and don’t question these truths, but in fact, we feel the need to constantly reconfirm our beliefs to both ourselves and others. In the LDS culture here in Utah this is a fact of life. A truth.
Most religions are this way.
Most political beliefs are this way as well.
In the LDS faith, the common belief is that an angel appeared to 14 year old Joseph Smith in upstate New York around 1820 and told him where he could find golden plates of scripture which he would translate into the Book of Mormon. This would become the foundation of the Mormon faith, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS).
If you believe in Joseph Smith’s claims and in the Book of Mormon, and if you are familiar with that history and the subsequent persecution of the Mormons and their pioneer trek westward to Utah, you are probably a Republican and there’s a good chance you voted for Donald Trump. He carried the state in the election.
But that’s not the analogy I’m trying to make. I’m trying to figure out just what is true and what is not, and to whom ...and why.
Sometimes truth can be personal, just like religion.
Blind faith can be a good thing in that it gives us something to adhere to, something that makes us feel good, something to be a part of. It can be daring and exciting, mind expanding and mysterious. It can be comforting. But blind faith can also be a double edge sword. The harm is that sometimes an appealing fantasy gets in the way of facts and reality affecting our ability to reason and we’re left on that lonely desert plain of doubt and confusion, unsure of ourselves or our beliefs, and susceptible to the lies and half truths and other aberrations that come along in life.
I believe the key to a sound belief system is to be observant and have a solid natural instinct ..toward right and wrong, toward life and love, toward life and death ..and toward the surroundings in which we live. And the key to that key is to have a solid fundamental educational background. All of these things are free and easily attainable. If you possess these things you’re half way home. No one can fool or trick you because you have the edge.
For example ...global warming, climate change, and fossil fuel emissions. We used to simply call this “air pollution.” If you are on either side of the current scientific debate or the political debate and you want the bottom line truth of the matter, then listen to the scientists, and listen to the politicians ..understand the issues they espouse, the controversy. Then, in the final analysis, just listen to your own conscience and use your good judgement based on your solid instincts.
To what degree we humans are contributing to the melting glaciers and ice packs, the rising seas, irreparable holes in the ozone layer, and the current overall catastrophic devastation anguish, is insignificant to the pure, simple basic truth that polluting the air we breath is bad. Period. And the scientific facts seem to support this. But the most important, reliable source is your God given human instinct and ability to observe and reason your way through this issue to conclude that this is true without any doubt or question.
If you hold your finger over an open flame you’ll burn your finger. Ouch! Bad. Truth. Lesson learned ..although some scientist, politician, salesman or news anchor may somehow try to convince you it’s a good thing. Fire good. Cooks food, gives warmth. Buy my fire, it’s the best fire. Again, your own good instincts will lead you to the heart of the matter, and the truth.
Ah, but only if all life’s truths were that simple. But many are.
If you voted for Donald Trump. Ouch! Bad. Lesson learned. Truth. But he has some good ideas.
If you believe the Joseph Smith story and the Book of Mormon ..good for you. I’m behind you all the way.
If you believe in Donald Trump and that his pulling out of the Paris Climate Accords and promoting jobs within the coal, oil and gas industries is a god thing, and you are an out of work coal miner ...good for you, I’m behind you all the way.
If you think that Trump’s withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Accords was a devastating blow to not only the planet but to America’s world leadership position, both politically and economically ..you are probably right and I am behind you all the way.
Which one of these scenarios is true? Follow your own instincts. Air pollution, bad. Just stand on the bench areas here in Cache Valley or Salt Lake City, or any city in the world on a red air quality day. And on a global scale, air pollution is bad ..real bad ..and over time ..devastating. Possibly human extinction. Which would again be, bad.
The question is, over how much time? Eat drink and be merry today, for tomorrow we die?
The truth can be tricky and elusive to bear and to come to terms with. We should examine and balance our own self interests in the truth with the bottom line equity of an issue to ascertain the implications of the truth. Often it’s not pretty.
But it’s always right there in plain sight staring you in the face.
John Kushma is a communication consultant and lives in Logan, Utah.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-george-kushma-379a5762
http://newsbout.com/a/John+Kush
