The Dilemma of Truth

Now a days, hundreds or thousands or even millions of ideas, philosophies, principles, or even laws proclaim that it is true. Truth as I would define as the reality of what ought to be. Thing is, many of these "truth claims" [claiming to be true] contradicts one another. And the reality of falsehood exist in the absence of truth or even in the partiality of it. Partial truth is never truth and is still called a "lie". And these lies portray themselves or disguises themselves as truth, man can't easily discern it. Often man believes it as truth. Unless the real truth is revealed and of course believed as truth because even if truth is revealed when men does not believe it, it is worthless. And, my simple example would be that of Jesus Christ claiming to be "I AM" (John 8:58), though it was truth [as the Bible declares it], most of the Israelites did not believe it, even until now [as the Bible itself prophesied it in Isaiah 53:3]. Maybe you wouldn't believe Bible analogy. Take this for example. Say I ate an apple and I said "This apple is delicious!" Would you who haven't tasted the apple say and agree "yes, that's delicious!" I don't think so. Before you truly agree, you have to taste it too! And by way of tasting it then the truth is revealed. But if you don't believe what you are tasting and doubt the reality of whether what you are tasting an apple or not makes another different story. Though rarely that happens. Though thing is, everything we do, belief has something to do with it. Because if and every time you look at an apple and taste the apple first before you say indeed it is sweet, you would have spoiled all the apples and won't be able to bring other apples to those you wish to give sweet apples. I hope you get my point.

But the thing I want to impart is the question "what is truth?" or "what is the real truth?" Truth of which all facts and reality hangs on to. A question man ought to ask themselves, from where our lives should depend on. Because if we do not depend on the real truth, then we simply are depending on lies. In reality, this will be hard to answer since truth depends on something that is real, verified by reality itself. Though we live in a real world, we are also surrounded by lies, deceiving men. And the only thing that will separate us from lies is if there is a standard, a dependable set of reality to compare to, a reality that will verify reality. And man's claims of truth is not a good standard and dependable measure for truth, because man can fail and the character of man is stained with what we call sin. If one does not agree to that, perhaps that person have not sinned at all. But if I ask, "is there at least one lie, even the smallest experience of not saying what is true, you've experienced in your life?" Most likely the answer is yes. A proof that man is truly tainted with sin. In other words we are corrupted. And added to that is that all individual men and women are distinct and unique. Not one is the same all throughout, therefore our perspectives and idea of what is truth varies and surely differs. With that, chaos is simply at our doorstep.

Now, to solve such a problem, there has got to be a standard, a measurement of where truth is truly validated that is really true. Others would suggest science as the basis of all truth. The thing is, science have not been able to explain and discover all things. Debates amongst scientist have been long and often life-time debates. Though it is indeed true that science have been beneficial at some sort, but there is a raised question whether has science really made a big and wonderful contributions? When science has also been a reason of many sufferings and catastrophes (e.g. atomic bombs)? Furthermore, there are scientist who claim theories as to the extent of making it equivalent to laws (referring to evolution theory). While many have already accepted it, except for genuine Christians, there is no basis yet for this theory of becoming a law, because there is no solid proof, all basing it in the most closest guess or hypothesis. When in actuality, none has been able to really proved it by real observation. And it really raises a lot of questions more than answers. Want to answer my own question? here are my several questions if evolution were true. 1) Why does man need clothes if evolution means they change in order to evolve in accordance to their environment? 2) Why are monkeys / apes still monkeys / apes? and Why are there no other species or kind like man who have great minds with different physical features? If evolution were true, then shouldn't we also see like "fishman", "monkey man" or even "bird man" existing? 3) Why do we have two eyes, not three? or two nose not one? These are just a few of my questions, I don't think scientists of evolution can really answer that will satisfy me. Cause I probably am just imagining their answer will be just, "it's just the way it is!" answer. I would even appreciate more the answer "I don't know."

Well, that's just a perspective about science making it the basis and standard of truth. Which really I can't say it can stand on its own, being the giver of verdict whether one thing is true or not, because it is not complete or absolute in verifying what is true. Furthermore, science can't even measure love or joy or happiness. Such things they can not quantify or measure. Philosophers come to these topics. And as history tells, no philosophers have come equally the same philosophy with other philosophers. Some have alike philosophy, but no two have one and the same set of philosophies. They may agree to one, but not to another one. Which I would again reason as the cause of man's corruption.

This time, we'll go to religion, which I'm going to discuss more about it and will be separating the Bible out of it. Why I'm separating Religion and the Bible, though both are connected to a deity matter? Well most certainly I know it's because of my own bias [as others would probably argue about it], which I would explain later. Thing is, religion, as people would define it as "to tie again", is more related on people looking for ways to go back to God, whereas my belief is that, the Bible, is something that God has given [in God's mysterious ways] for man to be able to be back to God. What I'm saying is, religion is man's initiation to find God, whereas, the Bible or Christianity [to be exact] is God initiating to find man. Now, why I didn't use Christianity in the first place, and used Bible instead, is that Christianity now a days (I believe) has lost it's true meaning. And to find that true meaning is written and recorded in the Bible. That's the reason I used the Bible instead of Christianity. To make proof of that is that the Christian religion today is filled with so many sects or groups believing different things from the other. Even if they use the Bible, still they differ in some or many beliefs. So where am I going to this? My point is, true Christianity is based solely in the what the Bible / Scriptures declare according to its own interpretation and not according to man's interpretation. The problem is, man differs in interpretations of the Bible as the reason of why there are so many sects. Well, I know. That's a more problem than a solution. Thing is, the real Christianity, as seen in the testimony of what was recorded in the Bible, is still being seen in the lives of real and genuine Christians today. Well, that is if you understand and know and able to discern who are the genuine ones. And some tip to know who are the genuine? They follow Jesus Christ of the Bible and not another man claiming to be Christ or anyone man. Their lives picture or manifest the life of Christ! That's genuine Christianity, whereas, there are those who profess Christ, but their lives say a different story. Now, given that religion has so many branches, even for the Christian religion, knowing which is which still is the problem. Or who truly holds the truth?

This time, I'll be presenting my thought or my idea (of course you may or may not agree, but just try to hear me out first). That of which the Bible as the authority and basis of truth. Yes, I know, I've already said a while ago that the Bible with different interpretations create a more problematic issue. But here's my point. Knowing and understanding that the Bible or Scriptures is constant or it does not change makes it more of somewhat worthy to be heard of. Not mentioning that throughout years and hundreds of years the Bible has been able to stand. Googling the approximate years how old the Bible is ranging from 1925 - 3400 years old. Well not only of how old it is, its testimony of how that many men tried to erase the Bible from the phase of the earth for centuries and yet it stands. Compared to other books, some or most of these books have become obsolete, unusable for that matter. Furthermore, the contents of the Bible exceeds far more than any other book in terms of history, poetry, philosophy or even prophecy. How can I say this? Well, try reading it and you'll see. Though to be honest, there is a catch to it. I mean, let say there is a secret mystery thing about the Bible, as the Bible itself declares it. It declares that only a true Christian can only be the one to benefit from the WHOLE of it, whereas non-Christian benefits little from it (I Cor. 2:14). Furthermore, I believe the Bible has a vast (but not unlimited, but sufficient) answers to the most important questions about life itself. Questions such as "Where life came from?", "Why is there suffering and death?", "What is the best model of a family and why?" Questions, if people will believe on the Bible as God's Word, will definitely find the answer to it. But as I've said there is a catch to it. Because this belief is not just a "make belief" kind of belief, because it requires the whole heartedness of one person surrendering and giving one's whole life before God through having faith (trusting faith) in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:9-10; John 3:16).

So, this is what I lay before the table, that is the Bible to be the Authority (nothing else) in the standard of what is Truth. Because furthermore, the Bible itself points to Jesus Christ as Truth Himself. He is Truth as He Himself declared (John 14:6). I know it's kind of a foolish rubbish kind of an argument in the sense of human argument, but whether indeed this is a rubbish one, no one can't deny the fact how God's Word or the Bible can change lives to the extent that one can live or die for it. Though I know as well, so few can be known these days as the kind of people who would die for the sake of such things. And, as I have said, few will truly live up to what the Bible teaches these days. And many have twisted the idea of what Christianity is all about, but still the Bible is true. As seen and verified through the lives of people who live it, recorded even throughout history who lived it. In addition, the Bible itself prophesied few would really believe (Matt. 7). With all things said, I rest my case and give the decision to you who read this. What is truth?