Ben Olson: Where’s truth today?

By BEN OLSON/for The Herald  —  Omnia vincit veritas, a famous phrase from a dead language, “truth conquers all.” 

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” said Jesus of Nazareth.

“The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” is what you swear to tell when testifying in a court of law.

I’m disturbed by the evolving definition of what the truth is. I can’t put the blame at the feet of any one individual. (It is possible that I am telling you a lie right now, but, for the sake of this article, I’m not naming names.)

There are 2 things to consider: if a lie is repeated enough times, does it become the truth? If you believe the lie, then is it no longer a lie? In my day, when you were caught in a lie, you were exposed, and felt a certain amount of shame, depending on the damage that lie caused. It was a black mark on your permanent record, to follow you the rest of your days. Your friends and colleagues may forgive you, but some may never forget.

There was a time in my youth where I was less than truthful. Something as simple as, “yes, I finished my homework” or “I don’t know who ate the last piece of cake” were harmless, or so I thought. When lies work, it makes it easier to tell more of them. Lies about fidelity in my salad days could get complicated, with so many details to remember. At some point I concluded that telling the truth and suffering the immediate consequences was the honorable thing to do. It was a lot easier to recall my story as it actually happened.

Religion gives many people a moral compass that helps them through life. When the Old Testament God, who was working for the Jews at the time, sent Moses up Mount Sinai, he dictated the 10 Commandments. He didn’t pass along the 6 Commandments and 4 Suggestions. Sadly, there are earnest Christians today who don’t see the problem with coveting, cursing, lying and finishing up that report on Sunday so they can present it to their boss first thing Monday morning. I try to heed the Biblical admonition, “judge not, that ye may not be judged.”

I have difficulty not passing judgment on people who aspire to be our leaders who double down on lies because it has become politically expedient. Many lies have been debunked a long time ago, yet repeated dozens, if not hundreds of times since then. It also troubles me that people whose religions teach them to obey God’s laws support people who play fast and loose with the truth. It would almost lead one to believe that, for many people, political power is much more important than truth, dignity, and even democracy itself.

C.S. Lewis said, “if you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort, you will not get either comfort or truth, only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair.”