Dear editor:

Over the last few years truth has been in the news and opined upon both here in Canada and in the United States.

The denial of science, the promulgation of “alternative facts” and the casual branding of difficult truths as “fake news” has stretched public discourse to the breaking point.

The very question of what makes something “true” has been torn wide open and people are taking sides about it as never before.

People of faith will recognize three kinds of truth: moral, scientific and religious. For Baha’is they are all one and the same.

The perceived conflict between science and morality or between science and religion is wrong.

‘Abdu’l-Baha wrote, “When religion, shorn of its superstitions, traditions and unintelligent dogmas shows its conformity with science, then there will be a great, unifying, cleansing force in the world.”

Anyone believing in the importance of truth will find it galling to witness discourse in which the telling of untruths has become common currency.

There are many roads to truth, but simply labelling something “true” because we want it to be so isn’t one of them.

Calling an outright lie an “alternative fact” isn’t just morally wrong; it is destructive of our social contract and undermines the human experience.

Truth is often hard-won, whether moral, scientific or religious.

After all, for centuries bloodletting was considered sound medical practice and slavery was considered morally acceptable.

Constantly examining our moral, religious and scientific thinking will let difficult truths emerge — and it will help us to clearly distinguish truth from what is not true at all.

Just as we stand up for each other in difficult situations, we should stand up for truth as well.

Hugh Church
NOTL