Realism depends upon the beholder, but aren’t there truths we can share? Mahatma Gandhi affirmed that “God is Truth,” and that a sacred religious truth was expressed differently, across a wide family of the world’s religions. I hope he was right.
However, we might say the opposite “Truth is God,” that the highest ideal is the truth, and that if religion proves false, we must set it aside. Indeed, we humans are compelled to find what is true and affirm it, so “Truth is God,” is an invaluable creed as well. “Truth is God,” may be the mantra of the empiricists, or scientist.
Perhaps we should consider both. Truth indeed should be our God, we must observe what is true, and never believe in nor sacralize untruth. But as frail mortals, we also hope that God is Truth, that a divine being governs our existence. I think we can do that by honoring and living up to what is best in the moral spirit of religions. “God is Truth,” cries the hopeful believer in our hearts, but “Truth is God” reminds the sharp scrutiny of our mind. I think we might consider both.
Comments