In our present secular society, there is an on-going debate
about real news, fake-news and the value of people’s opinions on many topics.
There are many people who are crying out for the truth to be told in all
situations. So, we must ask the age-old question from the times of Plato, what
is truth?
It is all part of the familiar science and religion debate.
I suppose it can be reasonable to think that truth must be factually
demonstrable and proven. But consider this simple picture, a roundabout.
We all
know which way to drive round a roundabout. In the UK one turns left to go around.
A worm looking up at the roundabout would say, correctly, that the traffic is
going anti-clockwise. However, a bird looking down on the same traffic would
say, also correctly, it is going clockwise. They are both telling the truth and
are factually correct. Then again, if you are not in the UK but in a country
where they drive on the right, exactly the opposite is correct. So, the truth
depends not only on your viewpoint, but also on your culture.
Another example is measuring a straight line drawn on paper.
You would have thought that the line has a very precise length. Then one must
consider the danger of parallax error. Looking at a rule, which has a finite
thickness from slightly different angle will mean that the viewers all read
different lengths.
One can only state that the middle one in the accompanying image
is the most accurate, not that they are actually right. Then again, particularly
if your rule is metal it will expand and contract with temperature changes at a
much greater rate than the line on the paper. So, how long is the line? What is
the true factual length? The truth depends on your viewpoint again and on the
conditions and the environment in which you currently find yourself.
Some ascertain that only science will reveal the truth about
the universe and that faith is conjured up from spurious fables. As far as
religion is concerned, Jesus is not alone in claiming to be “The Truth”; adherents
to many faiths claim to have found enlightenment and truth.
Science is based on theories proved by observable, objective
and replicable evidence published in papers. Faith relies on evidence based on
immersive, subjective, personal experience and millennia of testimonies. But both
have a good track record of intelligent, academic, discriminating followers.
I feel we must be very careful if we are casually dismissive
of statements from science, any religion or any person’s viewpoints. We must
surely not dismiss anyone’s opinion of the truth about life, its origins and meaning,
whether based on scientific theory or religious faith. While no one wants to be
misled by fake-news or deliberate falsehoods, and we should be discerning of
the obvious scam or satirical publication, a tolerant and inclusive view of scientific
facts and personal religious experience must surely be the path to human wholeness.
It is neither one nor the other which holds all the answers to our present
predicament.
Einstein said, "Science without religion is lame,
religion without science is blind”. In my view, only the two together can lead us
to an understanding of the real truth about life.
