Pontius Pilate, the Governor of Jerusalem, is most famous for the quote; “What is truth?” He said it in conversation (interrogation) with Jesus Christ. Christ didn’t answer the question, because He took it as a rhetorical question – Pilate was looking at truth!

As people, we need something more comprehensive to understand truth. The Bible is truth, but not everyone wants to read it or ascribe to it. Therefore, we may need, for social order (peaceful co-existence), to have a tangible explanation (definition) of truth. Of course, there are those who have no desire for “social order”, and the resulting chaos pleases them to a degree and allows them to maintain and expand their power(s) until it has an adverse effect on them personally. Then, they find “social order” attractive, and in their opinion even desireable.

“Social order” comes either through voluntary and cultural cooperation, or by a force coming from the top down. The force coming from the top down would be some form of dictatorship or oligarchical system. Technically, a dictatorship cannot exist, because the dictator needs some people to help him maintain his/her status as dictator. Therefore, a strong forceful government is always an oligarchy with a front person (dictator or even a President) who can be replaced by the oligarchs if that dictator loses their usefulness or is overthrown by the people and/or legislators and politicians who would normally answer to that dictator. That leaves the oligarchs in place – untouched!

So, what is truth? Truth would be the opposite of a lie. So, then we need to know what is a lie? More importantly, why do people lie? There are basically two reasons for a lie to be used. It would be used to cover up someone’s actions that they do not want to be known, or to gain advantage politically or materially (money typically). From that, we can adduce that truth is an open expression of some action or words that leave the observer/listener fully informed of that person’s thoughts and intentions. That doesn’t mean that the truth will always be pleasant, or even acceptable. It just means that it is clearly apparent and understood with no deception (lies) to conceal it. Put another way, a lie is truth concealed, and truth is all revealed. Jesus Christ said His work is done in the light of day implying fully revealed.

Why is this important for “social order”? For that matter, why is social order important? Without social order, there is no protection of individual rights or property. Contracts are not enforceable without “social order”. An example would be a landlord tennant relationship. Under “social order”, a lease would hold a tenant responsible to pay rent, and a landlord to provide an habitable dwelling. If either party failed to live up to their responsibility, then either one could take their complaint to a court of law where an unbiased (hopefully) judge or jury would make a determination of the plaintiff’s accusations and the proper solutions based upon laws (agreed upon methods for social order) and the terms of the lease agreement. The law and the lease are representations of truth, and testimony given in court would also be a representation of truth. All who testify in a court of law declare under the penalty of perjury (an enforcement of social order) that they will “tell the truth; the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help them GOD!”

In the above example, we have a voluntary example of social order being enforced. On the other hand, in a dictatorship, the party favored by the dictator would find the court would decide in the favored person’s complaint, and that would be it – no chance of an equitable solution or even a right of appeal.

A secular government (one without Biblical morality and law) will ultiamtely devolve into a tyrannical and unjust society where order will be one-sided, and the majority will feel very abused and oppressed. The longer a secular society is tolerated and promoted, the closer to dictatorship that society comes. Once a dictatorship is well entrenched, extricating that dictatorship and restoring a just society with good social order will become more difficult, and likely a very bloody and painful experience.

America, according to the Constitution, is NOT a democracy, but it is a Republic (rule by law – good social order). Democracy was condemned by the Founders because it always turns into an abuse of power. People are easily manipulated into an herd mentality to vote away other’s rights in favor of their own, and ultimately at the expense of all but the most wealthy and powerful.

Pensiamento Peligroso