Truth

Truth does not fear scrutiny.

I hold to what is called the "correspondence theory" of truth: something is True if and only if it corresponds to reality. If something corresponds to reality (the way things really are), then investigation of that thing should lead to confirmation of this reality.

Think of it this way: Imagine a jar filled with marbles. You say there are exactly 100 marbles in the jar and I say there are exactly 150 marbles in the jar. We cannot both be correct. We can both be wrong. It is impossible for the same jar to be filled with both exactly 100 and exactly 150 marbles at the same time. There is a reality of the matter regarding how many marbles are in the jar. Truth corresponds to that reality. Regardless of how sincere we are in our guesses, regardless of how well reasoned we believe our conclusion to be, if we say there are 100 or 150 and really there are exactly 125, then we are sincerely wrong. The truth of the matter has nothing to do with our observation or our conclusions. The truth exists due to the reality of a jar with marbles in it. It has nothing to do with the observers.

In this example, investigation of this reality should confirm the truth of the matter. We can count and recount the marbles until we are both satisfied that the truth is that the jar contains 125 marbles. The truth does not fear scrutiny. False beliefs, however, should fear scrutiny. Under scrutiny they may be exposed.

I believe that Christianity is True. I believe that Christianity is the only True religion. Jesus Christ is the only True Savior. The God of the Bible is the only True God. All others are counterfeits. I do not intend these statements to be derogatory. If what I believe is false, I'd like to know it.

Would you?

Comments

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