Truth

1. 63

   luvpassionposted 14 years ago

   Is it human nature to ignore truth and believe a lie when the consquence of doing so are more pleasing than accepting it?
   
   For example...smoking, many studies show that smoking leads to lung cancer and death. (Truth) Yet millions of people smoke.
   
   Even in religion many theologians agree that Christmas and Easter were pagan holidays before being adopted by the church as Christian holidays...yet most Christians ignore this truth.
   
   In politics,President Eisenhower lied to the whole nation when Gary Powers was shot down in a spy plane (the U2 incident) over Russia. So in a report to the nation, he lied. His justification was that it was in the nation's best interest. A truth to justify a lie.
   
   What are your views?

   replyreport
   1. 52

      atlas_khanposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      100% right. This not your country problem but it's a whole world problem.

      replyreport
   2. 60

      Ashmiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      We are riddled with inner contradictions. We talk of peace yet prepare for war. We want the truth but can't live with it. We seek friendship yet exploit and deceive. We talk of freedom yet we refuse to let go. We talk of love yet divide and exclude. Harmony and peace for the world yet we refuse to have it in ourselves etc etc......
      
      Until we eradicate these contradictions which are the mark of the false we will keep on lying. Fear and greed is the root of deception.

      replyreport
2. 60

   Obscure Divineposted 14 years ago

   Temporary, so-called "truth" has the same effect as a lie, if one chooses to live in a free-spirited fashion.  From that point, for the ones who rebel against the limitations that are set by others, some folks will still do whatever they like and do as they please, until the day of their actual demise...  Plus, life is endless, so the phrase "whatever makes you happy" makes more sense every day.

   replyreport
   1. 63

      luvpassionposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      In other words as Winston Churchill said. "Some men practically fall over truth, but pick themselves up and go on as if nothing happened." 
      
      Or,  it's easier to stand solidly on a lie, then to stumble on the truth.

      replyreport
      1. 60

         Obscure Divineposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Hey now, I said "so-called truth" via limitations of thoughts, that's all.  I spoke nothing about what Churchill said. 

         replyreport
      2. 0

         Brenda Durhamposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Yes it's easier for some people to stand on a lie.
         
         This is illustrated in the Bible when it calls Jesus the stumbling block, showing that many people didn't want (and still don't want) to believe in Him even though His Truth is right there in front of us all.....

         replyreport
         1. 60

            Obscure Divineposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Many people stand on a lie while thinking they are standing on truth.  I see this going on with lots of money-collecting "organizations" these days...... 

            replyreport
            1. 0

               Brenda Durhamposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               I actually agree with that.
               
               The churches in this nation and probably in other nations are falling under the money spell!   It's recently become my personal opinion that the tax-free status of MOST religious organizations should be deleted.   The true "Church" wasn't meant to become open to mercenary options nor to fund the high-life of most Pastors and families.  And definitely not the re-fillable Pope position.

               replyreport
               1. 64

                  Greek Oneposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Can you be more specific, Brenda?
                  
                  

                  replyreport
                  1. 0

                     Brenda Durhamposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     I can't be more specific because I disagree with ANY church being tax-free.
                     
                     But of course, yes, those like Jim Baker/Tammy Faye's long ago that raked in so much money from followers who idolized them.
                     
                     ...I dunno if all churches are this way or not, but I was in a church before where a person's tithes were tax-deductible.  To me, that's a twisted way of handling church business.    Why tithe, pretending to give your share to God, and THEN turn around and take a deduction to get some of it back on your tax return?

                     replyreport
                     1. 81

                        earnestshubposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                        It's the religious way.

                        replyreport
            2. 59

               Jeramiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               I see this going on in every walk of life. especialy when ego gets involved.
                 ya gotta excuse me cause I took a pain pill a few minutes ago and I'm thinking way too clearly right now.  my typing is another  matter.

               replyreport
3. 59

   Jeramiposted 14 years ago

   Most everyone wants to follow what ever the group that they are closest to is believing to be true.

   replyreport
   1. 63

      luvpassionposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      So you believe that factors such as prejudices within groups cause people to dismiss or not want to recognize truth whenever they see it.

      replyreport
      1. 59

         Jeramiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I think that most people do not have as much faith in their own thoughts as they do someone that is said to be an authority.

         replyreport
         1. 60

            Obscure Divineposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            That would be very sad, weak & pathetic, to say the least...

            replyreport
            1. 71

               getitriteposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               
               
               ...but that is true!

               replyreport
               1. 60

                  Obscure Divineposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Hmm, unfortunately so...

                  replyreport
4. 60

   Pandoras Boxposted 14 years ago

   "We are not afraid to follow the truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it." -Thomas Jefferson

   replyreport
   1. 71

      getitriteposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      
      
      Jefferson had the right perception, which is more than I can say for some of the delusional believers who believe that Truth is based on nonsense, prejudice, faith, an absurd bible, etc.

      replyreport
      1. 63

         luvpassionposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         An ongoing problem in today's culture
         
         To love truth sincerely means to pursue it with an earnest, conscientious, unflagging zeal. It means to be prepared to follow the light of evidence, even to the most unwelcome conclusions; to labor earnestly to emancipate the mind from early prejudices; to resist the current of desires and the refracting influence of the passions; to proportion on all occasions conviction to evidence; and to be ready, if need be, to exchange the calm assurance for all the suffering of a perplexed and disturbed mind. To do this is very difficult and very painful, but it is clearly involved in the notion of earnest love of truth.
         
         Lecky

         replyreport
5. 60

   kessposted 14 years ago

   Truth is that which you allow when on one is looking but will justify you before all.
   
   Truth is the absence of hypocrisy...
   
   Truth is that which proceed from the heart that is cleanse by the conscience.
   
   Truth is that which shows you all things including yourself just as they are.
   
   Truth is that which show all things as good even the evil works.
   
   Truth is that by which all things are.

   replyreport
6. 63

   luvpassionposted 14 years ago

   Would you agree with me that if I said to you that there is a very good chance that when you were younger that you were more likely to say, "I know!" than you are now, and that as you grow older that you are more likely to say, "I think" rather than "I know!" because in youth there is the tendency to view things within very narrow parameters?
   
   But as our experience increases we see that most situations that we are involved in are puzzlingly complex, far more complex than we ever believed, many-sided, and we begin to see that there is almost no opinion that does not have at least some truth, some facts within it that are true.

   replyreport
   1. 59

      Jeramiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      If you said what I think that you said I would have to agree completely. Even though things are not quite as complex as they seem either. Sometimes Excuses  cause the apearence of complexity. But yet There is no hard fast truth to all circumstances concerning everyone either.This is imposible to tell someone how to tell the diffrence.

      replyreport
   2. 60

      kessposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      When I was younger I use to say I think, but now as I know Truth I can say with much assurance "I know".
      
      Truth teaches a man Truth,
      If you still unsure then you have not known truth.

      replyreport
      1. 59

         Jeramiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I believe that the closer we come to absolute truth the closer we come to what others consider to be insanity. And if in this instance we are truthful We would have to agree with them. This in turn afirms that we have not yet reached that Truth.

         replyreport
      2. 63

         luvpassionposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Truth is not easy to accept whenever it cuts across the grain of our belief,
         This being said, the truth can be blunted to fit certain beliefs.
         
         In my opinion one should weigh the evidence before considering something absolute truth.

         replyreport
         1. 59

            Jeramiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Truth is even harder to accept when it turns your beliefs upside down.
               There are some truths that when we have come to accept it
            we wish that we had not found it.
               Maybe those people that refuse to see the truth some how know this; and this is why they refuse to see.
               I like to think that it is better to be sad knowing the truth than it is to be longing for the truth.

            replyreport
7. 77

   Shadesbreathposted 14 years ago

   Truth is relative.  Facts are not.  The distance between a fact and truth is a matter of purpose, rhetoric and will.

   replyreport
8. 60

   Obscure Divineposted 14 years ago

   The most pristine truth is what you're born with and it comes without the contaminates of outside sources via evolved ignorance.

   replyreport
   1. 64

      Greek Oneposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      what i was born with?
      
      a placenta and dangerously large genitalia?

      replyreport
      1. 60

         Obscure Divineposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         You too?  Hmm, interesting...  Ha-ha!

         replyreport
9. 81

   earnestshubposted 14 years ago

   Ignoring truth is the religious way.
   That is why we have thousands of religions that all own a separate "truth"
   They all read the same book, then kill each other over their version of the "truth"
   What a pile of horse radish!

   replyreport
10. 60

    Originposted 14 years ago

    I think it's pretty basic, sometimes truth can be more damaging than a lie.
    
    If your wife walks into the kitchen with a big smile while your doing dishes, and she's wearing this hideous dress, do you say..
    
    A) Ughhh... that dress.. it's terrible!
    
    B) Wow, you look quite stunning honey!
    
    C) Run away

    replyreport
    1. 60

       Psychic-Dreamposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       There's a Buddhist saying that whenever you say something it must be true, timely and useful.
       If you want to say something that's not true, don't say it.
       If you want to say something that's true, but you know it's not the right time to say so, don't say it.
       If something is true, timely but not useful, then don't say it.
       
       If everyone followed this, I think the world would be a much quieter place!

       replyreport
       1. 60

          Originposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Or, you could twist the truth, only say things that are true, but omit other aspects that may prove damaging. For example, in my example question a post ago, you could say something like "the dress matches your eyes" or something like that. Sometimes they are going to demand the truth, no matter what the result will be. Should you sugar-coat the truth with a white lie? That's a touchy one too.
          
          Or you could be a bit more sneaky. Like say for example, you reply with..
          
          "Yes, your dress looks beautiful dear!" and follow it up in your head with **with the lights off so it's not so blinding**.

          replyreport
11. 60

    kessposted 14 years ago

    When one stops seeking truth from the word of men whether it be written or spoken, then that one is on the way to finding Truth.

    replyreport
    1. 59

       Jeramiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       What you say is true. But one can not find truth by only listening to their own inner voice. We have to begin by listening to someone.
         We have to choose what things to accept as the path to truth. And hope that we have chosen correctly.
          The greatest of few advantage of becoming old is.....
          Us old folks can look back over our past life and see those things that we had believed to be true but wasn't.
          And those things that we believed to be false but wasn't.
          Truth never changes. Our perception of it is constantly changing.
          So if our perseption of truth is constantly changing???
       Should we ever judge any one according to them???

       replyreport
    2. 60

       logic,commonsenseposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       That is the truth!
       The truth is what is, not what we perceive it to be, not what we wish it to be.
       We can not alter or distort what is, as it will always be what is, as it is destined to be what is regardless of any attempts to manipulate it, as that is destined also.
       Most can not or will not see it.

       replyreport
12. 60

    Obscure Divineposted 14 years ago

    From the book titled "Tao of Jeet Kune Do" by Bruce Lee:
    
    The Path to Truth
    
    1) Seeking after truth
    2) Awareness of truth (and its existence)
    3) Perception of truth (its substance and direction -- like the perception of movement)
    4) Understanding of truth (a first-rate philosopher practices it to understand it -- TAO.  Not to be fragmented, but to see the totality -- Krishnamurti)
    5) Experiencing of truth
    6) Mastering of truth
    7) Forgetting truth
    8) Forgetting the carrier of truth
    9) Return to the primal source where truth has its roots
    10) Repose in the nothing

    replyreport
13. 60

    kessposted 14 years ago

    To know truth is to know God.
    To know God is to know truth.
    For God and Truth is one.
    
    If you know god and do not know truth then the god you know is false.
    
    When you know truth you realize that it was always with you even as a mere child before you could barely say mama or papa.
    
    You cannot know the false except by truth for the false cannot exist except by Truth being with it.
    
    The false will always bear a testimony of Truth.
    
    Truth is the first and is the begining.
    Truth is the last and is the end for truth is all things and define all things.
    
    Truth is life and life is eternal, anything else is death which also is eternal.
    
    This physical world is false but is because of Truth.
    
    You should not rest till you find Truth, and when you do find truth you found that it was always with you.
    
    Is this world we see both Truth and false and we will cleave to one or the other.
    
    Those who seeks Truth will find it, and those who seek it not will never find it though it's already with them.

    replyreport