What is Truth?

by onacruse 15 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  onacruse

  This has been posted elsewhere, but perhaps it is worthy of a revisit:

  w 7/1/79 R8-9

  "WHAT IS TRUTH?"

  This question is one which every sincere Christian should ask and seek to answer. We should learn to love and value truth for its own sake; to respect and honor it by owning and acknowledging it wherever we find it and by whomsoever presented. A truth presented by Satan himself is just as true as a truth stated by God.

  Perhaps no class of people are more apt to overlook this fact than the Christian. How often do they in controversy overlook and ignore truth presented by their opponents. This is particularly the case when arguing with an infidel. They feel at perfect liberty to dispute everything he says on religious subjects. This is not the correct principle. Many infidels are honest-as anxious to speak and believe the truth as are Christians-and if in converse with them we ignore truths which they may advance, we not only fail to convince them of our truths, but put an end to all hope of reaching them; for our failure to admit the evident truth which they advance begets in them contempt for the one who is not honest enough to admit one truth because he does not see how it can be reconciled to another. Accept truth wherever you find it, no matter what it contradicts, and rely for ability to afterwards harmonize it with others upon "The Spirit of truth, which shall guide you into all truth," as Jesus promised.

  Truth, like a modest little flower in the wilderness of life, is surrounded and almost choked by the luxuriant growth of the weeds of error. If you would find it you must be ever on the lookout. If you would see its beauty you must brush aside the weeds of error and the brambles of bigotry. If you would possess it you must stoop to get it.

  Be not content with one flower of truth. Had one been sufficient there would have been no more. Gather ever, seek for more.

  Weave them together as a garland-"Bind them on thee as a bride doeth." "Bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: so shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man." (Proverbs 3:3)

  Charles Taze Russell

  One could wonder what the WTS would be today if it had adhered to the principles espoused in this little article.
• 

  Terry

  I bought a copy of Studies in the Scriptures from an International Bible Student. I can feel something electric and sincere in Russell's writing. It could persuade me. It is Count Dracula making me stare into his glowing pupils!

  The man had a genuinely sincere talent for expressing himself.

  I give him his props!
• 

  onacruse

  I bought a copy of Studies in the Scriptures from an International Bible Student.

  If I may share a small bit of my own history in that respect: Some years before I was first df'd for apostasy, I found an ad for some old WTS publications, including reprints of the Studies in the Scriptures. I ordered them, and some several months later a fellow comes to my door and introduces himself as a Bible Student. I can't remember much of the conversation, except that he identified himself as a great-grandson (?) of W.E. VanAmburgh. He seemed quite sincere, and politely took his leave when I made it clear that I had no desire to meet with his local study group. He was the only Bible Student that I've ever met.

  In my studies of writings from the Russell period, it comes across to me that the article I posted above reflected the sincere philosophy and practice of the early Bible Students, insofar as tolerance of divergent opinions and lack of enforced organizational centralization is concerned.

  Of course, this is just my own sincere impression, which may not be worth much.
• 

  stark

  Truth is that which corresponds with reality. No matter how many opinions, there are or how sincerely someone believes their opinion if it does not correspond with reality it is a wrong opinion. That goes for the Christian as well as the non-Christian. Mr. Russell spoke of different flowers of truth, but in reality truth, by definition is exclusive. Jesus Christ made an exclusive truth claim he said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Now if what he said does not correspond with reality it is not a truth claim, and is wrong, no matter how strongly the Christian believes it. However, if his claim does correspond with reality then Jesus is exclusively the only way to God, which makes all other beliefs wrong. There can not be another “flower of truth” that is truly true yet contradicts Jesus’ claim, if indeed, Jesus’ claim corresponds with reality.

  It’s interesting that I often hear people speak against Christianity because it is so exclusive, yet every religion has a point of exclusion, why is Christianity always singled out as unreasonable because it’s exclusive?

  This, of course, is my opinion the question is does it correspond to reality?
• 

  poppers

  From Stark: "No matter how many opinions, there are or how sincerely someone believes their opinion if it does not correspond with reality it is a wrong opinion." So then, what is reality? How does one determine exactly what that is?
• 

  stark

  So then, what is reality? How does one determine exactly what that is?

  popper, I guess I could give a cheap answer and say that whatever is...is, but that doesn't answer much. What if you went as far back as Descartes and started with being sure of your own existence? He said "Cogito ergo sum" which is Latin for "I think, therefore I am." Apparently he was doubting everything, when it dawned on him that he couldn't doubt that he was doubting. Then he figured to doubt was to think, and someone was doing the thinking. So the conclusion was "I think, therefore I am." So the question I leave you with, that may sound a bit odd but do you believe that, in reality, you exist?

  I'm asking because I see the picture you have and it looks like kali, which suggests you may be Hindu and many Hindus believe they are only God's dream. Pardon me if I'm wrong.
• 

  Narkissos

  Must I add that, in the whole New Testament, there appears but a solitary figure worthy of honour? Pilate, the Roman viceroy. To regard a Jewish imbroglio seriously--that was quite beyond him. One Jew more or less-- what did it matter? . . . The noble scorn of a Roman, before whom the word "truth" was shamelessly mishandled, enriched the New Testament with the only saying that has any value--and that is at once its criticism and its destruction: "What is truth?". . .

  Friedrich Nietzsche, The Antichrist... all of which is a challenging but worthwhile read imo, with many valuable reflections on "truth".

  http://www.fns.org.uk/ac.htm
• 

  poppers

  From Stark: "So the question I leave you with, that may sound a bit odd but do you believe that, in reality, you exist?" Now, that is a great question, and one which I wish more people would ask of themselves and then actually investigate directly. I don't buy Descartes' Cogito ergo sum - to equate "am-ness" with thinking is what has gotten this world so screwed up. People identify with their thinking, creating a sense of self based on thought, and that sense of self butts heads with other mind generated ideas of self, which inevitably leads to conflict and strife. But is this mind generated sense of self actually true? Or is the sense of self something beyond thought, not limited to what appears in the mind? This is what each person must find out for themselves. It does no good to create ideas around who/what one is, but to find out directly what one is in this very moment - this alone reveals the truth of one's existence. "I'm asking because I see the picture you have and it looks like kali, which suggests you may be Hindu and many Hindus believe they are only God's dream. Pardon me if I'm wrong." No, I am no Hindu, Buddhist, or anything else which revolves around accepting some belief system - but if I were the typical response would be to categorize me, thinking that you somehow know me based on my particular belief system. How you'd react to me would be based on your belief system - this is the root of conflict. What "I" am cannot be put into words, cannot be revealed to others - what "I" am can only be pointed to with words, but in the end words only cloud that which I am. What's left when there are no words, that's what I am. See if this is so with yourself as well, and if it is seen then you'll know what I am talking about.
• 

  JamesThomas

  Poppers, that was a beautifully worded post.

  Are you using an Apple computer or a browser other than Explorer? If so there are things you can do to display spacing for paragraphs and such. There are posts here on the forum about how that is accomplished. I would tell you how but I don't remember.

  j
• 

  tetrapod.sapien

  narkissos, i will be reading that, thanks.

  tetra