Truth, not proof...

It’s interesting to me how much misinformation is out there, and how blindly people follow it…

For example, people read the book of Genesis as a history book that chronicles the events of the beginning of the world.  People think that “Global Warming” has to do with the current air temperature. Many people think that God helps determine the outcome of the Super Bowl. Most people don’t seem to realize that current day Christianity is more about what Constantine told everyone that they are supposed to believe, than the actual teachings of Jesus. The list can go on and on, but you get the point.

I know that it goes back to a post I had earlier about how people don’t even think twice about changing facts in their minds in order to support what they think they believe (easier to change facts than to humble yourself to change), but it still is frustrating to me, as someone who is trying to search for truth in this world, to be surrounded by so many people whose minds are so tightly closed.
On the other hand, I have to remember that everyone believes that their beliefs are right.  Otherwise they would just go and change their beliefs, right?  I have to be sensitive to that because changing core beliefs is a painful thing to do.
Most people have come to their beliefs through a lifetime of experiences, so shaking up the whole paradigm of your life is difficult.   Even in my own life, I have to continue to ask questions, not really expecting them to be answered, but opening myself to new ideas.  It may anger me. It may confuse me. But then I remember the poetry of Rich Mullins:

It could be a celebration
Or it could be a hurt
That makes your soul awaken
In the echoes of what you heard
'Cause when your faith gets shaken
Sometimes your heart gets stirred

Over the past few years, my life has been renewed as I have searched for truth and come to new understandings of common ideas.  No, it isn’t making me more wealthy or more successful, but I find myself at peace so much more than I was…  I have almost no anxiety attacks anymore, I spend very little time worrying, and I am enjoying life so much more.

I’m beginning to think that maybe we need to start educating people better.  They won’t listen to any big lesson - they will see that as a challenge to argue and defend their long held ideas, and that won’t get us anywhere.  Plus, they get so much bad information from other people that it is probably asking too much for someone to take me seriously.

I honestly believe what John Robinson told the pilgrims when they were setting out to find the “new world”:  “…the Lord hath more truth and light yet to break forth from his Holy Word.” I believe that we need to start slipping in little comments of new knowledge into the conversation so that we can help people think about things a little more, and not resort to rote recitations of old and tired dogmas that they have heard others say.  They have to get out of their comfort zone so that they can find the truth.

And that’s what it’s all about.  We need to start looking for TRUTH, and not just PROOF of what we already say we believe.

‘Cause when your faith gets shaken, sometimes your heart gets stirred…