When Ideology trumps truth, we are left only with vain religion. No matter the cause; animal rights, the environment, or the pursuit of Democratic Freedom, religion always places the end goal above the means.

Case Study #1
Oprah’s use, in 2006, of James Frey’s book “A Millioin Little Peices” is one example. Oprah believed Frey’s book affirmed her hope that Man has the internal capacity to lift himself up from the uttermost depths to the highest peaks. When Frey was exposed as a fraud, Oprah’s first response was very telling. She asserted that despite the fact that his book was filled with lies,

“..the underlying message of redemption in James Frey’s memoir still resonates with me, and I know it resonates with millions of other people who have read this book.

What is relevant is that he was a drug addict who spent years in turmoil from the time he was 10 years old drinking and tormenting himself and his parents, and stepped out of that history to be the man that he is today and to take that message to save other people and allow them to save themselves.”

Oprah would later “clarify” her statement which undermined the importance of truth, but still there remained an underlying hope that despite the facts the basic narrative remained viable. When Ideology trumps truth, deception becomes our sheild.

And of course the publisher of Frey’s book had no problem allowing truth to suffer the cause of profit. “Frey’s publisher Nan Talese herself, actually took what had been a novel and rechristened it a memoir, hoping for the kinds of sales only afforded to “true stories.” This is no shock that a publisher and author would lie about a book to increase sales. Just ask Eugene Peterson. When ideology trumps truth, prosperity becomes god.

Case Study #2
In 2007, Jesse Macbeth, became the poster boy for many in the anti-Iraqi war movment. He claimed to be a war veteran who had killed women and children all at the behest of the US Army Rangers. But numerous holes in his story lead Macbeth to plead guilty to charges he faked his war record. Yet there are still some people who embrace the narrative despite the lie.

“If Jesse MacBeth is or isn’t who he claims to be, so what? Does being a fake change the fact that this war is grossly illegal, corrupt and immoral? Does it change the fact that the U.S. admin lies, condones and practices torture, illegal captivity, kidnapping, rape, use of napalm … uses depleted uranium on its own troops as well as on foreign soil?

My point is this, even if Jesse is a fake, (which I don’t think he is!) we all know that the occupation forces has already committed astounding atrocities against the people of Iraq & other nations on this planet.”

and

“What difference does it make if he is a fake or not I would bet that there are things like that going on over there. Anyone that trusts our government to tell the truth is a moron.”

These quotes illustrate a class of people who have given up on truth and replacec it with opinion. When ideology trumps truth, perception becomes reality; and that is a path to certain destruction.

Case Study #3
Anyone who watches the political landscape in America, knows that things are getting nasty. It seems that on every front, ideaology has become the master of truth. One recent example is the distortion of Rush Limbaugh’s comments about “phony soldiers.” Despite the evidence that his comment was accurately targeted against specific men, like Jesse Macbeth, who are actually pretending to be solider many persist in a strategy to distort the truth to gain political advantage. The biggest concern is that this kind of distoriton is not just an accident, it is a strategy designed by thinkers like Saul Alinsky. According to The American Thinker, Alinsky’s book “…gives “the complete outline for throwing Judeo/Christian principles and honesty to the winds of revolutionary fervor.”

Let’s put our political beliefs aside and try and grasp the bigger picture of what these three casse studies illustrate. They demonstrate in small ways, how our culture has placed ideaology above truth. We have forgotten that no matter how noble ones goal, truth does matter and if the evidence does not support the religion, then maybe it is time to discard the religion. The biggest danger of all, is that when ideology trumps truth, the destruction and dehumanization of any individual becomes acceptable.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, I may not always know which politician is lying, but I do know that my hope rests in the historical reality of a Messiah who was, and is and ever shall be.

1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 17-18, 58
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me…

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied…

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

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