Love the Truth

"The first sentence in this chapter is false.
Is it? Think about it."

Thus begins a riveting chapter by Vince Vitale in the book  Jesus Among Secular Gods. 

On Monday I interrupted my reading of The Tapestry to finish this book in the sauna. Having read an excerpt last year, this book went on my wish list. I've been reading it slowly since receiving it for my birthday. It is one of those books that I should read over and over to digest. But even with the state of my brain these years, I am able to understand many snatches of the foundational truth being discussed and now know where to go for reference when dealing with the pervasive "isms" of our day. Those discussed are:

Atheism - There is no God
Scientism - Science has disproved God
Pluralism - All paths are equally valid
Humanism - We don't need God
Relativism - True for you but not for me
Hedonism - Whatever makes you happy

The final chapter of the book, with which I began this post, is titled Love the Truth. The point is that the Truth can in fact be loved, because the Truth is a Person.

But first Vince discusses how futile it is to play with the truth. If you say, "There is no truth," is that itself a true statement?

There is also the danger of dealing only with "partial truths" - comically illustrated by these jokes.

"In which battle did Napoleon die? 
His last one.

"Where was the Declaration of Independence signed? 
At the bottom.

"What do you have if you have three oranges in one hand, and five in the other?
Big hands."

I could go on to share much more, but I encourage you instead to read a copy of this book for yourself - even if you believe there is no such a thing as objective truth. You will find these authors very sympathetic and understanding of where you are coming from. They've been there themselves!

"Because truth has so often been used as a weapon to manipulate, abuse, and control, many have stopped valuing truth altogether. We have lost the ability to disagree in love... Our experience of human nature has taught us that disagreement leads to devaluing which leads to intolerance which leads to violence. 

"Avoiding disagreement is not possible, and trying to do so lands you in incoherence; you forfeit your ability to have intelligent conversations."

Do you fear the truth or love the Truth?