Welcome to the “Post-Truth” World!
You may have heard that, back in December, the Oxford Dictionary announced that "Post-Truth" is its 2016 word of the year. According to the Dictionary's website, the word is "an adjective defined as 'relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief."
The word "post-truth" has been around for a few decades or so, but according to the Oxford Dictionary, there was a spike in the frequency of the word's usage since Brexit (Britain's referendum to exit from the European Union) and an even bigger jump since the period before our American presidential election.
This last year, we witnessed both presidential candidates and their campaigns seeking to gain support by appealing to the electorate's subjective perceptions, anxieties and fears rather than address pertinent issues by discussing and studying objective or unbiased facts and figures. The rise of 'fake news' stories - particularly dealing with the character, actions or plans of the candidates - were very often accepted more than the facts. This was because the 'fake news' confirmed or validated what segments of the electorate already felt and thought about the candidates and their alleged behaviors, plans and goals. The most inaccurate news story about a candidate or the candidate's agenda was enthusiastically accepted as being truthful if it fit with one's existing opinion about the candidate and their agenda.
Those with discernment know that we have been living in a spiritual “Post Truth” world for a millennia. God's facts and truths – revealed by His Creation and more fully in the Bible – have been less influential in shaping individual and public opinion than have appeals to emotion and personal reason and perspectives.
Rather than consult with God's Scriptures and accept its truths as the foundation for personal and public policy-making, going with what feels right and sounds right has been and continues to be the primary approach. This approach has resulted in the moral and spiritual chaos and anarchy we see today. The fact that there are so many different religions in the world is due to human pride which substitutes the Divine revelation of Scripture and its truths with a belief-system that caters to a society's corrupted thinking and its carnal lusts. The same also explains why, even within Christendom, there are hundreds of different denominations and sects. Man would rather create and defend their own spiritual 'reality' with its own 'facts' and 'truths' than accept and submit to the objective facts and truths delivered through the Word.
Sinful Man refuses to accept that, in and of himself, he cannot form a reliable opinion of spiritual reality. Man must humbly seek the Lord to comprehend “the Way, the Truth and the Life” while living in this darkened, fallen world. As the Scripture states, “it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). Why? “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). Our heart (the origin of our fleshly thoughts and feelings and perceptions) is an untrustworthy guide for our lives. Our heart is deceitful above all things because it has an agenda contrary to God's agenda. Our heart is “desperately wicked” as it rejects the true God and His enlightening Word by seeking to satisfy its own desires and will.
When a person or a church builds their ideology on the subjective thoughts and feelings of humankind, they are pleased to accept “fake news” (false doctrines and false theologies and false man-made religious traditions) which appeal to and validate their existing carnal attitudes, thoughts and feelings. However, God has forewarned Man of the disaster of such a custom when He said, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). And, “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverb 26:12).
People who are pleased to abide in a “Post-Truth” world are not to be confused with 'moral/spiritual relativists' who do not believe that there are any universal facts and truths. On the contrary, those who choose to be a participant in the “Post-Truth” world will grudgingly acknowledge that objective facts and truths exist but they prefer the code of conduct and ideology developed by the human heart and mind rather than that delivered by the Holy Spirit in Scripture. Their attitude is: 'Don’t confuse me with facts, my mind’s made up,”
They were rightly described by Isaiah and Christ this way - “They see, but they're blind. They hear, but they don't listen. They don't even try to understand. So they make Isaiah's prophecy come true: ‘You will hear clearly but never understand. You will see clearly but never comprehend. These people have become close-minded and hard of hearing. They have shut their eyes so that their eyes never see. Their ears never hear. Their minds never understand. And they never return to me for healing'” (Matthew 13:13-15 GW)!
Those who embrace the spiritual “Post-Truth” world practice self-deception and self-deception eventually leads to the hardening of one's heart. This hardening of the heart is seen everywhere as attempts to teach Biblical truths and urge repentance to such falls flat or, worse, brings offense and anger. 'Don’t confuse me with facts, my mind’s made up,”
When one has harden their heart, you can show them Scripture after Scripture on what is taught by God but they find anything they can to keep and justify their sin. They refuse to give serious consideration to information that you and others try to communicate to them.
Of course, we know that the Devil is partially responsible for this. “The god of this world [the Devil] has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. As a result, they don't see the light” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Notice that the Devil blinds the minds that are already unwilling to believe or take God's Word seriously. The distressing thing is that God will give such people what they want. “Since they refuse to love the Truth that would save them; therefore, God visits them with an active delusion, till they put faith in falsehood, so that all may be doomed who refuse faith in the Truth but delight in evil” (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).
People who are willing to lie to themselves in order to avoid having to face challenges to their feelings and personal beliefs are sitting ducks for manipulation – by the Devil and His workers. There will always be demonic-inspired evangelists, pastors, preachers and teachers who will have a message that will appeal to various people's carnal emotions and thoughts and perceptions. Ministers who will twist God's word to validate and praise the heart-felt emotions and broad-minded perspectives of their spiritual followers. As Christ said of them: “They are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit” (Matthew 15:14). How sad that people are willing participants in their own manipulation, such as was warned by the Apostle Paul, in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “A time will come when people will not listen to accurate teachings. Instead, they will follow their own desires and surround themselves with teachers who tell them what they want to hear. People will refuse to listen to the truth and turn to myths.”
What are some of the “myths” or “fake news” being disseminated today by many of the blind guides? Here are a dozen examples -
All religions are basically the same and will get you to Heaven.
God will receive me without making changes in my life.
Religion is a personal matter and should not be talked about nor shared with others.
I don't need to read/study the Bible for myself because my pastor or preacher does that for me.
Baptism (immersion in water) is not vital to receive remission of sins and eternal life.
God turns a blind-eye to 'hooking-up' before marriage.
I don't have to belong to a Church in order to be saved.
God makes some people homosexuals/lesbians like He makes some people black, red or yellow.
Repentance only means confessing our sins and asking forgiveness.
Attending congregational worship services is not commanded nor mandatory.
God accepts divorce and remarriage.
God is unconcerned about what T.V. Shows, movies, videos or music I watch and listen to.
In closing, we have a choice whether we will embrace and promote the spiritual “Post-Truth” Era or you can submit your own feelings and thoughts in deference to the facts and truths of God's eternal Word – the Bible. Jesus proclaimed, in John 12:48, “He who rejects me and will not receive my words has indeed a judge: the word I have spoken will judge him on the last day,” And, in Matthew 7:24-27, ”Now, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts upon them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. The rain came down, the floods rose, the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, for it was founded on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act upon them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the floods rose, the winds blew and beat upon that house, and down it fell—with a mighty crash."
“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” (John Adams, 1770.)
