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A distorted view of what constitutes truth is very common today.  That distortion leads to confusion and makes people susceptible to deception, especially concerning apparent conflicts between the Bible and modern science.  A proper understanding of what constitutes truth, how to identify it and how truth differs from theory is essential to appreciate the world around us and our place in it.  The one completely reliable source of truth is the Word of God as recorded in the Bible.  Here are some basic affirmations concerning theory and truth:

 

  1. Theory is mans attempt to explain reality.
  2. Truth is that which actually corresponds to reality.
  3. Theory may or may not be true.
  4. It is important to distinguish between theory and truth.
  5. Scientists and other experts are not infallible.
  6. Widely accepted scientific theories can and should be questioned by lay people.
  7. Learned men are capable of fundamental and sometimes monumental mistakes.
  8. Learned men once believed that the earth was flat and that the sun and stars all moved around it (untrue).
  9. Learned men once believed that the earth stood still at the center of the universe (untrue).
  10. Ordinary people, people without academic credentials, may challenge scientific theories by asking questions and making observations.
  11. Everyday people should not feel intimidated by scientists, doctors and academics.
  12. Complex and impressive sounding theories should pass simple tests of logic to be believable.
  13. Theories should make sense in the light of known truths.
  14. The Creation account in the Bible is flatly contradicted by modern scientific theory.
  15. The biblical and modern scientific explanations of creation cannot be reconciled or harmonized.
  16. The biblical and modern scientific explanations of creation cannot both be correct.
  17. There is such a thing as objective truth.
  18. Truth is not subjective or relative.  Truth is absolute.
  19. There are no such things as “my truth” and “your truth.”
  20. If two people disagree on the answer to a true dichotomy, either one is right and other is wrong, or they are both wrong.  They can’t both be right.
  21. If one man says there is no God and another says there is, they cannot both be correct.
  22. No amount of affirmation can conjure God up if He doesn’t exist and no amount of denial can annihilate Him if He does exist.
  23. The position that God can exist for some men but not for others is illogical.
  24. The question of whether God exists or not, which is a true dichotomy, is a “yes or no” proposition.  There is no middle ground.  
  25. In the past, people relied primarily upon faith, logic and reason to evaluate truth claims.
  26. Today, it is popular to rely upon feelings to decide what is true and what is not.
  27. The validity of a proposition should be evaluated by faith, logic and reasoning, not emotions.
  28. Faith is a gift of God that leads to truth and salvation, but faith does not displace or replace logic and reasoning.
  29. God gave us large brains with which to think and he expects us to use them.
  30. Faith, logic and reasoning are all compatible with one another.
  31. A proposition is either true or false regardless of how one feels about it.
  32. Academics and scientists often describe their concepts in complex terms that obscure meaning.
  33. Scientific jargon (big words) can hide flaws in reasoning that would otherwise be obvious.
  34. Medical doctors and other highly trained professionals sometimes use bewildering terminology as a smokescreen to hide ignorance or to avoid giving plain answers to simple questions.
  35. Having an impressive name for something is no substitute for understanding it and being able to explain it in plain English.
  36. If an expert can’t explain the essence of a concept in plain language, he may not understand it himself.
  37. Science is at a loss to fully explain the nature of some of the most basic features of God’s creation.
  38. Scientists often explain phenomena with theory presented as fact.
  39. Scientists can often explain in great detail the behavior of natural phenomena like gravity and energy without being able to explain what those phenomena actually are.
  40. Classical physics teaches that energy is the ability to do work.  This explains what energy can do, but not what energy is.
  41. Describing the behavior of something is not the same thing as explaining the essence of that thing.
  42. It is often possible for a thoughtful person to recognize a false explanation of a matter without knowing what the true explanation of that matter is.
  43. Questioning orthodoxy advances science.  Prohibiting or suppressing alternative ideas inhibits science.
  44. There is no such thing as “settled science.”  Real science is always open to question.
  45. Censoring competing ideas stifles science and progress.
  46. Educators do students a disservice and inhibit the search for truth by teaching as fact that which is really only theory.