The Truth
In 1865, Sir Francis Galton, a noted British scientist, wrote an article postulating a theory that soon gained wide acceptance throughout the western world. Advocates of the theory began to trumpet a warning that mankind was in dire straits and that immediate action needed to be taken to preserve the human race. Top scientists, political leaders, and other influential celebrities jumped on the bandwagon. The theory was taught as truth in college and high school classrooms.
Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Winston Churchill believed the theory. The Supreme Court of the United States rendered decisions based on the theory. Men like inventor Alexander Graham Bell, botanist Luther Burbank, and author H.G. Wells gave their support. The leading universities in the United States – including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford – were involved in major research projects related to the theory. And not to be outdone, twenty-nine state legislatures passed laws authorizing actions to be taken to avert the impending crisis.
What was the theory? It was the theory of eugenics, an idea based on the belief in the survival of the fittest. Eugenics advocates felt that “superior” humans – those with the best genetic traits - were not reproducing enough and that “inferior” people were reproducing so rapidly that the gene pool was being diluted. (Evidently, they never considered the possibility that those reproducing so rapidly might just possess the “stronger” genetic traits. If the survival of the fittest doctrine were true, then how could the “unfit” have such high birth rates?) They believed that action needed to be taken and government policies implemented to stop the imbeciles and misfits from reproducing and to encourage those naturally stronger in intellect and talent to have more children. Those considered inferior included Jews, Blacks, the poor, and individuals suffering from certain diseases. Belief in this “new truth” led to the forced sterilization of over 64,000 Americans between 1907 and 1963. Nazi Germany embraced the belief with religious fervor. They instituted policies to breed the “master race” and exterminated six million Jews and assorted other so-called misfits and degenerates during their reign of terror in Europe. After WWII, the theory fell out of favor, but only after millions around the globe suffered from the poison of this false teaching. (For more information on the topic, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics or read Appendix I, State of Fear, a novel by Michael Crichton.)
Eugenics was an idea spawned by the theory of evolution. (Galton was a cousin of Charles Darwin.) Since it was based on the lie of evolution, the fruit of the theory of eugenics was rotten to the core. This idea was believed to be the truth by the best and brightest, but it turned out to be just a belief based on falsehood, not fact. Today, the idea is still believed by some; they just talk about it using different terms.
This episode in human history exposes a deep flaw in man: we find it easy to fall for a lie, but seemingly will not believe the truth. Most have no clue what truth is. Many wonder if there is any such thing as truth. Philosophers have written enough volumes on the subject of truth to fill whole libraries. All the world’s religions base their existence on the belief that their unique set of teachings is “the truth” and, thus, that all competing religions are false or at least filled with error in some way.
Pontius Pilate reflected the attitude of many when he asked Christ on Passover, 31 AD, "What is truth?" (John 18:38). Periodically, we need to ask ourselves that same question. Is there such a thing as “the truth”? Is there unassailable knowledge that will keep us from falling for false ideas like the theories of evolution and eugenics? As we examine ourselves from time to time, it is also good to examine what we believe. Does truth exist? If so, do we believe the truth or are we holding on to some pet lie?
Does Truth Exist?
Many philosophers debate the existence of truth. Some will rashly say that there is no truth at all, everything is relative. Simple logic and examples prove that truth does exist. We know that the law of gravity is true. We know that pain results from slamming a car door on our hand. We know that our survival depends on food and water. Many will stipulate that these and other physical truths exist, but they deny the existence of moral or spiritual truths. The crux of the question of truth’s existence rests on the existence of an omnipotent God who is in control of everything. If such a God exists, then he is the source of all truth – spiritual and physical. (To prove whether such a God exists, refer to the booklet Does God Exist? at this web site: http://www.herbert-w-armstrong.org/indexBB.html
Please note that this is not an endorsement of this web site, but is only a link to one of many online sources.)
The Source of Truth
There are many proofs of the existence of the God of the Bible. The Bible records statements from this one who identifies Himself as God. He says, “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me” (Isaiah 46:9). This God proclaims Himself as the only God and that He is superior to anything else called god. He says that He is the one who has declared “the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done” (Isaiah 46:10). His statements provide proof of His existence and His veracity to anyone who will accept His challenge to put His words to the test. This statement tells us that prophecies recorded in the Bible that have been or will be fulfilled are proof of this God’s existence.
Moses recorded in Deuteronomy 32:4 that this God “… is the Rock, His work is perfect; … [is] A God of truth... Righteous and upright is He.” One of the fundamental character traits of God is that He is a God of truth. Truth is part of His divine nature. Jesus Christ made this statement to his disciples at the last Passover before His crucifixion, "I am the way, the truth, and the life…” (John 14:6). The Hebrew word for truth indicates that this God of truth is One who is stable, trustworthy, and certain. He is established and permanent. He says He doesn’t change (Malachi 3:6). The Bible says that Jesus Christ is “the same, yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). God’s truth is permanent because it reflects who He is. His truth is not like scientific theory which changes with new research and new discoveries. Neither is it like the ideas of philosophers or the teachings of religious gurus, ideas and teachings based on falsehood, not truth. If we want to know truth, then we need to go to the source of truth – God the Father and Jesus Christ.
What is Truth?
The Bible gives us God’s answer to the very basic and fundamental question of life, “What is truth?” He inspired David to record the clear answer in Psalm 119.
“… Your law is truth.” (Psalms 119:142)
“…all Your commandments are truth.” (Psalms 119:151)
“The entirety of Your word is truth...” (Psalms 119:160)
The basis of truth is God’s law and all His commandments. His entire word teaches us what is real. All knowledge, understanding, and wisdom – to be truth – must be based on the words and commandments of God recorded in the Bible.
How Important is Truth to God?
David wrote “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts…” (Psalms 51:6). God wants truth written on our hearts and minds. It must be the basis of our thoughts and our actions. Further, Christ said that belief in the truth is what distinguishes the true worshipers of God from the false.
John 4:23-24
23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
The truth is key to the right worship of God. Believing false teachings keeps us from fully worshipping God. Christ further explained the importance of truth in John 17.
John 17:17-19
17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
The truth sanctifies us; it sets us a part. Christ has sent us into the world to bear witness of His truth.
Paul’s admonition to the Corinthians indicates that truth is to be central to our observance of the holy days of God.
1 Corinthians 5:8
Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Our Attitude towards the Truth
The Bible records examples and advice on how we are to approach the truth. We are to be like the Bereans who “… received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV). He admonished Timothy to teach the brethren “not to strive about words to no profit” (2 Timothy 2:14), but instead to “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). John recorded that we should not add to or take away from God’s Word (Revelation 22:18-19).
Conditions at the End of the Age
The prophets record that at the end, truth will have perished and that there will be no knowledge of God in the land.
Isaiah 59:4
No one calls for justice,
Nor does any plead for truth.
They trust in empty words and speak lies;
They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.
Jeremiah 7:28
"So you shall say to them, 'This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the LORD their God nor receive correction. Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth.
Hosea 4:1-2
1 Hear the word of the LORD,
You children of Israel,
For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land:
"There is no truth or mercy
Or knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing and lying,
Killing and stealing and committing adultery,
They break all restraint,
With bloodshed upon bloodshed.
What to Do
Those who are sanctified by the truth have a responsibility to preserve the truth and to preach it to a deceived world. We are warned to be constantly on guard so that we are not deceived by this apostle, that prophet, or any false teacher who comes in Christ’s name (Matthew 24). We also need to carefully evaluate the ideas, thoughts, and knowledge touted by the great intellects of mankind. Accepting ideas that are not firmly based on truth will lead to problems and difficulties.
The theory of eugenics brought untold human suffering because the best and brightest fell for a lie. It might be said that every problem of man can be traced back to the belief in a lie. In fact, all of mankind’s troubles started when Adam and Eve fell for Satan’s lie and ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil – indicating their rejection of God as the source of truth and their desire to determine the truth for themselves. Today, we can be assured that every time we reject the truth of God and seek to go our own way, we will encounter trouble and difficulty. It is imperative that from time to time we examine ourselves and examine whether we are in the truth or not, making sure that our foundation is the rock solid truth of God.
Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Winston Churchill believed the theory. The Supreme Court of the United States rendered decisions based on the theory. Men like inventor Alexander Graham Bell, botanist Luther Burbank, and author H.G. Wells gave their support. The leading universities in the United States – including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford – were involved in major research projects related to the theory. And not to be outdone, twenty-nine state legislatures passed laws authorizing actions to be taken to avert the impending crisis.
What was the theory? It was the theory of eugenics, an idea based on the belief in the survival of the fittest. Eugenics advocates felt that “superior” humans – those with the best genetic traits - were not reproducing enough and that “inferior” people were reproducing so rapidly that the gene pool was being diluted. (Evidently, they never considered the possibility that those reproducing so rapidly might just possess the “stronger” genetic traits. If the survival of the fittest doctrine were true, then how could the “unfit” have such high birth rates?) They believed that action needed to be taken and government policies implemented to stop the imbeciles and misfits from reproducing and to encourage those naturally stronger in intellect and talent to have more children. Those considered inferior included Jews, Blacks, the poor, and individuals suffering from certain diseases. Belief in this “new truth” led to the forced sterilization of over 64,000 Americans between 1907 and 1963. Nazi Germany embraced the belief with religious fervor. They instituted policies to breed the “master race” and exterminated six million Jews and assorted other so-called misfits and degenerates during their reign of terror in Europe. After WWII, the theory fell out of favor, but only after millions around the globe suffered from the poison of this false teaching. (For more information on the topic, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics or read Appendix I, State of Fear, a novel by Michael Crichton.)
Eugenics was an idea spawned by the theory of evolution. (Galton was a cousin of Charles Darwin.) Since it was based on the lie of evolution, the fruit of the theory of eugenics was rotten to the core. This idea was believed to be the truth by the best and brightest, but it turned out to be just a belief based on falsehood, not fact. Today, the idea is still believed by some; they just talk about it using different terms.
This episode in human history exposes a deep flaw in man: we find it easy to fall for a lie, but seemingly will not believe the truth. Most have no clue what truth is. Many wonder if there is any such thing as truth. Philosophers have written enough volumes on the subject of truth to fill whole libraries. All the world’s religions base their existence on the belief that their unique set of teachings is “the truth” and, thus, that all competing religions are false or at least filled with error in some way.
Pontius Pilate reflected the attitude of many when he asked Christ on Passover, 31 AD, "What is truth?" (John 18:38). Periodically, we need to ask ourselves that same question. Is there such a thing as “the truth”? Is there unassailable knowledge that will keep us from falling for false ideas like the theories of evolution and eugenics? As we examine ourselves from time to time, it is also good to examine what we believe. Does truth exist? If so, do we believe the truth or are we holding on to some pet lie?
Does Truth Exist?
Many philosophers debate the existence of truth. Some will rashly say that there is no truth at all, everything is relative. Simple logic and examples prove that truth does exist. We know that the law of gravity is true. We know that pain results from slamming a car door on our hand. We know that our survival depends on food and water. Many will stipulate that these and other physical truths exist, but they deny the existence of moral or spiritual truths. The crux of the question of truth’s existence rests on the existence of an omnipotent God who is in control of everything. If such a God exists, then he is the source of all truth – spiritual and physical. (To prove whether such a God exists, refer to the booklet Does God Exist? at this web site: http://www.herbert-w-armstrong.org/indexBB.html
Please note that this is not an endorsement of this web site, but is only a link to one of many online sources.)
The Source of Truth
There are many proofs of the existence of the God of the Bible. The Bible records statements from this one who identifies Himself as God. He says, “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me” (Isaiah 46:9). This God proclaims Himself as the only God and that He is superior to anything else called god. He says that He is the one who has declared “the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done” (Isaiah 46:10). His statements provide proof of His existence and His veracity to anyone who will accept His challenge to put His words to the test. This statement tells us that prophecies recorded in the Bible that have been or will be fulfilled are proof of this God’s existence.
Moses recorded in Deuteronomy 32:4 that this God “… is the Rock, His work is perfect; … [is] A God of truth... Righteous and upright is He.” One of the fundamental character traits of God is that He is a God of truth. Truth is part of His divine nature. Jesus Christ made this statement to his disciples at the last Passover before His crucifixion, "I am the way, the truth, and the life…” (John 14:6). The Hebrew word for truth indicates that this God of truth is One who is stable, trustworthy, and certain. He is established and permanent. He says He doesn’t change (Malachi 3:6). The Bible says that Jesus Christ is “the same, yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). God’s truth is permanent because it reflects who He is. His truth is not like scientific theory which changes with new research and new discoveries. Neither is it like the ideas of philosophers or the teachings of religious gurus, ideas and teachings based on falsehood, not truth. If we want to know truth, then we need to go to the source of truth – God the Father and Jesus Christ.
What is Truth?
The Bible gives us God’s answer to the very basic and fundamental question of life, “What is truth?” He inspired David to record the clear answer in Psalm 119.
“… Your law is truth.” (Psalms 119:142)
“…all Your commandments are truth.” (Psalms 119:151)
“The entirety of Your word is truth...” (Psalms 119:160)
The basis of truth is God’s law and all His commandments. His entire word teaches us what is real. All knowledge, understanding, and wisdom – to be truth – must be based on the words and commandments of God recorded in the Bible.
How Important is Truth to God?
David wrote “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts…” (Psalms 51:6). God wants truth written on our hearts and minds. It must be the basis of our thoughts and our actions. Further, Christ said that belief in the truth is what distinguishes the true worshipers of God from the false.
John 4:23-24
23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
The truth is key to the right worship of God. Believing false teachings keeps us from fully worshipping God. Christ further explained the importance of truth in John 17.
John 17:17-19
17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
The truth sanctifies us; it sets us a part. Christ has sent us into the world to bear witness of His truth.
Paul’s admonition to the Corinthians indicates that truth is to be central to our observance of the holy days of God.
1 Corinthians 5:8
Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Our Attitude towards the Truth
The Bible records examples and advice on how we are to approach the truth. We are to be like the Bereans who “… received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV). He admonished Timothy to teach the brethren “not to strive about words to no profit” (2 Timothy 2:14), but instead to “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). John recorded that we should not add to or take away from God’s Word (Revelation 22:18-19).
Conditions at the End of the Age
The prophets record that at the end, truth will have perished and that there will be no knowledge of God in the land.
Isaiah 59:4
No one calls for justice,
Nor does any plead for truth.
They trust in empty words and speak lies;
They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.
Jeremiah 7:28
"So you shall say to them, 'This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the LORD their God nor receive correction. Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth.
Hosea 4:1-2
1 Hear the word of the LORD,
You children of Israel,
For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land:
"There is no truth or mercy
Or knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing and lying,
Killing and stealing and committing adultery,
They break all restraint,
With bloodshed upon bloodshed.
What to Do
Those who are sanctified by the truth have a responsibility to preserve the truth and to preach it to a deceived world. We are warned to be constantly on guard so that we are not deceived by this apostle, that prophet, or any false teacher who comes in Christ’s name (Matthew 24). We also need to carefully evaluate the ideas, thoughts, and knowledge touted by the great intellects of mankind. Accepting ideas that are not firmly based on truth will lead to problems and difficulties.
The theory of eugenics brought untold human suffering because the best and brightest fell for a lie. It might be said that every problem of man can be traced back to the belief in a lie. In fact, all of mankind’s troubles started when Adam and Eve fell for Satan’s lie and ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil – indicating their rejection of God as the source of truth and their desire to determine the truth for themselves. Today, we can be assured that every time we reject the truth of God and seek to go our own way, we will encounter trouble and difficulty. It is imperative that from time to time we examine ourselves and examine whether we are in the truth or not, making sure that our foundation is the rock solid truth of God.
posted by Manuel at 3:52 PM
1 Comments:
You know, I thought you were talking about DALTON.
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