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Friday, August 19, 2011

WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS....!

     Do you have any heroes? Are there any people, either currently alive or historical figures, who you strongly respect and admire. If you were to draw up a list of ten people, living or dead, who you would like to share a cup of coffee with and engage in conversation, who would be on your list? 
     One of my heroes is Thomas Jefferson, Patriot, President, Secretary of State, Ambassador, Gentleman Farmer, and so much more. One of the things that got me interested in Mr. Jefferson was his authorship of the Declaration of Independence. It is a most impressive use of language on any document, at least, to my mind. 
"We hold these truths to be self-evident that all Men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness - That to secure these Rights Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the Consent of the Governed." (Emphasis mine)
     The well known passage cited above is from the Declaration of Independence. Mr. Jefferson alludes to self-evident truths, truths that are true on their face. 
     You may recall that when Jesus was standing before Pilate, Jesus told him that He came to earth to bear witness to the truth. Pilate asked Jesus "What is Truth?" (John 18:37,38
     People throughout the ages have been asking that very same question, "What is Truth?" How can we know what is "true?" How can we sift the truth from the incredible amount of information that we are all exposed to on a daily basis?
     Is truth absolute or is it relative? Is it a matter of perspective? If something is "true" is it true for everyone or is it possible for something to be true for me but not true for you?
    I believe that there is such a thing as "objective" truth. I believe that what is "true" for me is "true" for you. Gravity is one such example of what I mean. The other laws of physics are true for everyone. If you are in motion you will remain in motion until acted upon by another force, no matter who you are.
    What you think about the concept of "truth" is immensely important.  When you go to the doctor's office it is imperative that the physician learns the truth of what's ailing you. Serious consequences can follow if he doesn't learn the truth. 
     In future postings I hope to explore the concept of truth and why it is important to learn what the truth is.
     I hope that you have a wonderful day...and that is the truth!

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