From My Perspective - - -
Sir Winston Churchill is known to have said: “Truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it, but, in the end, there it is.” In his own way, Mark Twain commented: “Always tell the truth. That way, you don’t have to remember what you said.” He then added: “When in doubt, tell the Truth.” The suggestion attributed to Oprah Winfrey is worth pondering: “Real Integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.” Why are these quotes shared? They are a way to contrast veracity with mendacity. In the ebb and flow of discourse, whether written or spoken, one is faced with a constant tension between that which is true and that which is false.
Veracity is: “the habitual observance of truth in speech or statement; conformity to truth or fact; accuracy; correctness.” The Synonyms are: “honesty, credibility, integrity.” On the other hand, Mendacity is: “untruthful, tendency to lie, falsehood.” The Synonyms are: deception; lie; untruth; deceit.” In modern times, one is barraged with verbiage and opinions from all sorts of people and sources. People err greatly if they agree with what they receive as “statements of fact” via their email of internet activity. Very few take the time to research what they resend or share as factual. It would take a few moments to compare what they are too ready to believe with websites such as, “Urban Legends” or “Snopes.” Laziness on the part of many recipients contributes to the embrace of that which proves to be mendacious (falsehood, dishonest, lies) rather than that which is veracious (true, accurate, honest).
Concerns have always been expressed in terms of how readily Truth is sacrificed for something that a person seeks or thinks will bring satisfaction. Francis Schaeffer was more like a prophet in his time. He said: “Today not only in philosophy but in politics, government, and individual morality, our generation sees solutions in terms of synthesis and not absolutes. When this happens, truth, as people have always thought of truth, has died.” At another time, Thomas Aquinas wrote: “As a matter of honor, one man owes it to another to manifest the truth.” Why is it that Truth becomes blurred or avoided? What are the considerations if one is to ascertain Veracity versus Mendacity?
Some Biblical considerations that should be considered. In Psalm 119:160, The Psalmist made a determined choice, namely, “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.” He arrived at a point where he needed to be anchored to something meaningful and accurate. He determined that it was God, and God alone. It was the Word of God and God’s righteous laws. Why? God and His Word, and all of God’s righteous laws, are eternal. Jesus made an assertive and declarative statement in John 8:31-32, “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said: If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Jesus is asserting that both He and His Word are the only viable sources of and for Truth. To those who continued to reject Him and His Word, He made a similar assertive and declarative statement in John 8:43-45, “Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!”
The Words of Jesus state the conflict between Mendacity and Veracity. One needs to be very guarded so the two never become mingled in one’s thinking and practice. Everything should be measured and weighed in light of the Absolute Standard of and for Truth, namely, Jesus Christ and His Word. A basic axiom for life is stated in Ephesians 4:25 (The Message), “What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth…When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.” Consider these things with me!
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