The War on Truth

11-12-23

Rev. Douglas Taylor

Sermon Video: https://youtu.be/Xycpbb4C-aI

Recently, in the Credo class I’m teaching – the one in which we respond to provocative questions about values and beliefs – I asked “Which is more important: being kind or being truthful?” Most of the people in the class quickly objected to putting these two options as a dichotomy. There is no reason, folks responded, we can’t be both kind and truthful if we take the time and effort to do it. It’s not that hard if you try.

But we pressed the question, acknowledging that we were not asked to pick between being either kind or truthful. The question was not ‘Is it more important to be mean but right or to be a likable liar?” Truth and kindness are both important. The question simply asks, which one is more important: being kind or being truthful?” Which one helps you do both well?

My answer was to lean a little more toward being kind. I suspect that is not a surprise to most of you. One of the other participants was very strongly in the ‘kindness’ camp and explained themselves like this: “Truth doesn’t need me for it to continue being truth. But kindness is dependent on my actions.” This made a lot of sense to me. I create kindness. I don’t create truth – truth just exists.

I was fairly satisfied with that response and even edged a little closer to the kindness side of the line after hearing this participants response. But a few days later I was unsettled by another thought. “Does truth need me?” Maybe I don’t create truth; yes – truth simply is true and doesn’t become more true by any action or belief on my part. And yet …

There has been a significant increase in the politics of lying lately. The political divide between liberals and conservatives has continued to widen, and one key argument is about who won the 2020 election. It is true that Biden won, but Trump and an array of vocal supporters continue to promote a lie that the election was stolen. And that lie has continued to have an impact on the functionality of our government in certain ways.

Now, it is certainly an age-old cry that “All politicians lie.” And while there is truth in that adage, that line is usually referring to the way politicians make promises on the campaign trail that they can’t keep or don’t intend to keep. It can also refer to the way politicians will put a spin on a story – control the narrative. But that’s not the same as fabricating a narrative from nothing.

Something different is going on. All of the lying is still just attempts to manipulate and control people in order to gain power. Politically, that’s what most of the lying is for. That goes for the campaign trail promise and the news hour spin. But some of what has been going on during the previous presidency and the ripples from the lie about a stolen election is bigger, bolder, and more dangerous.

It’s dangerous because truth is being seen as unimportant – as negotiable – by people in power – or vying for power. And this trickles down to more regular people who perpetuate the lies but don’t receive the benefits.

And something else is at play as well – something that makes the erosion of truth easier. We are grappling with the way technology has advanced to where we have a remarkable level of access to information. And a problem with that is there is so much information that it becomes just noise and we struggle to tease out any signal. There is so much content, it can be almost impossible to find reliable sources of true information and it is super easy to just find an echo of whatever you already believe is true.

A positive spin on this is the way entertainment can provide highly individualized content. If you want neotraditional bluegrass music, you can find that. If you want Bollywood movies, but just the dance scenes, you can find that. If you want modernized fairy tales featuring only people of color, you can fine that. You want cheesy hallmark Christmas romances movies featuring LGBTQ+ characters, you can find that. And if you don’t want those things – you don’t have to see it. Of course, certain people still go out of there way to get offended about representation, but my point still stands.

My point being: the expansive availability of niche content is good for entertainment. Unfortunately, the same expansive availability of niche content is a problem when it comes to getting your news and information about the world. It makes it very easy to confirm your bias and very hard to find reliable sources of real information.

It becomes important to ask “Who wrote this article or this podcast? What perspective or identity are they writing from?” When our news is pitched toward customized niche markets, it isn’t really news anymore. Misinformation and disinformation have become so prevalent, we can’t just take information at face value. We have to question our sources.

And I want to be clear that this is not just a matter of politics and social issues. Science is in danger of misinformation and disinformation as well. People seem to consider an opinion about science to carry as much weight as evidence-based fact. Folks delight in questioning evolution and climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic, and vaccinations.

And then we can get started on the conspiracy theories about historic events such as the Holocaust and the moon landing.

In the reading, https://www.creationsmagazine.com/2023/09/29/the-truth-will-set-all-of-us-free-by-caitlin-johnstone-and-tom-foley/  we heard a warning about propaganda. Propaganda is when a lie is generally accepted as truth because it has been heavily promoted by a powerful entity. A conspiracy theory is the opposite, it is the revealing of the propaganda. Part of the problem is that if you want to point out propaganda, you risk being labeled a conspiracy theorist – which is not seen as a positive label – it is a way to discredit people.

It gets tricky. One of the tools of the powerful is propaganda. Another is to discredit anyone pointing out the truth. And another tool is to poke at clearly established truths by concocting conspiracy theories about them to undermine credibility.

The trouble comes when so many things are purported to be propaganda or a baseless conspiracy theory, and we are left to pick and choose which things are real and which are not with limited tools for uncover the truth.

I’ll give you an example. I am well convinced that the moon landing was real. But I wasn’t there, I don’t understand the science of astro-physics, I don’t know any astronauts, and I don’t work for NASA. I can’t do my own research. I can’t personally to vouch for the reality of the moon landing. I am left to read and listen and at some point, simply trust the information I have available to me. And I am well convinced the moon landing was real. 

Consider a more recent example. A few weeks ago (10/17/23) a hospital in Gaza was struck by a missile, hundreds of Palestinians died. According to some, the missile was part of the Israeli offensive. Others say it was a missile fired by Hamas that landed on the hospital by mistake. There has been little beyond situational or circumstantial evidence available because the hospital is in a war zone at the moment. The question of truth vs. propaganda is an obvious one to pursue at this point. And yet, many people don’t We’re not going to get clarity about the truth on this point for a long time. Which means propaganda will likely hold sway.

Our world is filled with injustice and the cruel exercise of power. The question of truth vs. propaganda, once you start looking, shows up in myriad locations. What’s happening with people of color in our prison system? Why are Trans people being targeted with dehumanizing legislation? Who is opposing the increased taxation of the super-rich? What’s the latest buzz about borders and immigration? Who, other that corporations, is promoting this current round of Artificial Intelligence?

In our reading this morning Caitlin Johnstone reminds us, “propaganda only works if you don’t know it’s happening.” She calls us to shake ourselves free from our ‘propaganda blinders’ and develop “a truth-based relationship with reality.” And I’ll add that caution that there is no unfiltered source of truth in the news. So, watch for the filters; watch for the angle, the lens being used to bring you the news.

This is good critical thinking skills to use on the information you are receiving. “Who wrote the piece?” And, “Who funded it?” You can go a little deeper and ask, “Who benefits from this version of the story?” And even “Whose voice is missing?” It helps peel away the layers to get closer to the truth.

Unitarian Universalism calls us to use a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. The context of that principle is for religious and spiritual matters, but it applies broadly to all of our living. There are a large number of powerful entities promoting certain perspectives, and generally they do not do so for the good of the republic or our noble citizenry, but for the good of their own economic, political, or social advantage.

But propaganda only works if you don’t know it’s happening. Ask more questions. Investigate the context. Be wary of the easy confirmation of what you already believe. Don’t assume the truth does not need you to defend it, does not need you to support it, name it, protect it.

Yes, “Truth crushed to earth will rise again.” (William Cullen Bryant) But that doesn’t mean we can sit back and let those who are crushing it to keep doing so. Yes, “No lie can live forever.” (Thomas Carlyle) But that doesn’t mean we must blithely wait for the lies to die before we can live free in truth. Yes, “The truth is still the truth even when no one believes it.” But that doesn’t mean the truth does not need us to support it, defend it, seek it always.

Friends, it is not easy right now. It feels like a simple message, everyone in the congregation will agree that truth is important. But friends, the world we live in is stacked against the easy finding of the truth. And so, I may be preaching to the choir. But sometimes the choir needs to be reminded of the song, or helped back on key – so that we can all continue to support one another. And the truth can help us.  

Seek the truth, we say. Seek the truth, and the truth will set you free. It will set all of us free.

In a world without end,

May it be so.