The truth is secure.

a reply to: Untun

Almost the entire prison population has experienced mental health problems, homelessness, suffered abuse or violence as a child, been addicted to drugs, or grown up in care. The children we don't help end up as the adults we don't want in society, and the problem is getting worse.

Crime is a symptom of a sick society.

a reply to: Itisnowagain

True, just because some is a amputee doesn't mean he can't vall victim to crime.

a reply to: SigmaXSquared

You're confusing facts with the truth.

Let's take our expample for example.

When someone raped a person, rape wasn't the truth. If it was then the truth is a criminal.
The occurence can be established a fact though.

When the truth is a criminal the truth will rob and kill you. Lies seem to be more pleasant in that manner.

originally posted by: TDDAgain
...
I don't think you thought this through.

I don't think that's the forte of those into eastern mysticism, esotericism, relativism (the idea that truth is not absolute but relative) and that sort of stuff.

How could anyone do that very effectively if they don't even know what truth is, or doubt that absolute truth can be known (with certainty), or that truth is absolute.

...

Pilate’s reply was a memorable question: “What is truth?” (John 18:38) Did he really want an answer? Probably not. Jesus was the kind of man who could answer any question asked of him in sincerity, but he did not answer Pilate. And the Bible says that after asking his question, Pilate walked straight out of the audience chamber. The Roman governor likely asked the question in cynical disbelief, as if to say, “Truth? What is that? There is no such thing!”* [According to Bible scholar R. C. H. Lenski, Pilate’s “tone is that of an indifferent worldling who by his question intends to say that anything in the nature of religious truth is a useless speculation.”]

Pilate’s skeptical view of truth is not uncommon today. Many believe that truth is relative​—in other words, that what is true to one person may be untrue to another, so that both may be “right.” This belief is so widespread that there is a word for it​—“relativism.” Is this how you view the matter of truth? If so, is it possible that you have adopted this view without thoroughly questioning it? Even if you have not, do you know how much this philosophy affects your life?

An Assault on Truth

Pontius Pilate was hardly the first person to question the idea of absolute truth. Some ancient Greek philosophers made the teaching of such doubts virtually their life’s work! Five centuries before Pilate, Parmenides (who has been considered the father of European metaphysics) held that real knowledge was unattainable. Democritus, hailed as “the greatest of ancient philosophers,” asserted: “Truth is buried deep. . . . We know nothing for certain.” Perhaps the most revered of them all, Socrates, said that all that he really knew was that he knew nothing.

This assault on the idea that truth can be known has continued down to our day. Some philosophers, for instance, say that since knowledge reaches us through our senses, which can be deceived, no knowledge is verifiably true. French philosopher and mathematician René Descartes decided to examine all the things he thought he knew for certain. He discarded all but one truth that he deemed incontrovertible: “Cogito ergo sum,” or, “I think, therefore I am.”

A Culture of Relativism

Relativism is not limited to philosophers. It is taught by religious leaders, indoctrinated in schools, and spread by the media. ...

In many lands the school systems seem to engender a similar type of thinking. Allan Bloom wrote in his book The Closing of the American Mind: “There is one thing a professor can be absolutely certain of: almost every student entering the university believes, or says he believes, that truth is relative.” Bloom found that if he challenged his students’ conviction on this matter, they would react with astonishment, “as though he were calling into question 2 + 2 = 4.”

...

Source: “What Is Truth?”

In his book The Art of Thinking, Professor V. R. Ruggiero expresses his surprise that even intelligent people sometimes say that truth is relative. He reasons: “If everyone makes his own truth, then no person’s idea can be better than another’s. All must be equal. And if all ideas are equal, what is the point in researching any subject? Why dig in the ground for answers to archeological questions? Why probe the causes of tension in the Middle East? Why search for a cancer cure? Why explore the galaxy? These activities make sense only if some answers are better than others, if truth is something separate from, and unaffected by, individual perspectives.”

Synonyms for "true": absolute/certain/factual/conclusive/correct, without error.
Synonyms for a "truth" (the noun): a "fact/certainty/reality"

That could be a useful reminder in light of Untun's last comment. "Facts" are "truths". If someone treats facts as truths, there's no confusion here other than that created by those who argue that one shouldn't do that cause there supposedly is a difference (as implied by the way they use those words and concepts). Mind you, in this case, both Untun and the person he/she was responding to where treating these concepts as if there is a difference.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: Mahogany

They also say "The truth will set you free" which is quite frankly just not true, depending on circumstances.

Perhaps one should not pay too much attention to those repeating a single phrase from Jesus without mentioning the context as to what truth he specifically was referring to and what specifically it was going to set his disciples free from. As if it doesn't matter regarding that claim and prediction, as if one does not need to investigate the matter any further to see if the claim has already been proven true or not.

“The Truth Will Set You Free”​—John 8 Explained

One day, in Jerusalem, Jesus was talking about his Father, Jehovah, and exposing the false religious leaders of his day. (John 8:12-30) What he stated on that occasion teaches us how to examine popular beliefs about God today. Jesus said: “If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”​—John 8:31, 32.

“Remain in my word.” Here Jesus sets the standard for evaluating whether religious teachings are “the truth.” When you hear a statement about God, ask yourself, ‘Does this harmonize with Jesus’ words and the rest of the Holy Scriptures?’ Imitate those who heard the apostle Paul speak and who were “carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things [the things they were learning] were so.”​—Acts 17:11.

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“For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the wholesome* [Or “healthful; beneficial.”] teaching, but according to their own desires, they will surround themselves with teachers to have their ears tickled.* [Or “to tell them what they want to hear.”] They will turn away from listening to the truth and give attention to false stories.” (2 Timothy 4:3,4) [which enslave them by poisoning their minds, keeping them occupied and distracted chasing false ideas/philosophies, pseudoscience, pseudo-wisdom, pseudo-enlightenment, superstitious myths, etc., “always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of truth.” (2Ti 3:5-7)]

“So we should no longer be children, tossed about as by waves and carried here and there by every wind of teaching by means of the trickery of men, by means of cunning in deceptive schemes.” (Ephesians 4:14)

“Look out that no one takes you captive by means of the philosophy and empty deception according to human tradition, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ;” (Col 2:8) [so when you are taken captive like that, the truth about it can set you free unless you demonstrate to be one of those described at 2 Timothy 4:3,4 who will turn away from listening to these truths, who will not take these warnings seriously. And if you remain unwilling to change your heart and mind on that. Emotions (figuratively "your heart") are an important factor when it comes to propaganda, including philosophical or religious propaganda. Demons are the most experienced beings when it comes to utilizing propaganda techniques, because they live longer than humans, and angels or God do not use propaganda as per its modern meaning and connotations (see The Manipulation of Information for the contrast between older and modern definitions/meanings or connotations).]

“However, the inspired word clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired statements and teachings of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, whose conscience is seared as with a branding iron.”(1 Timothy 4:1,2).

“The Truth Will Set You Free”—How? (Awake!—2012)

MILLIONS of people feel that they are free when, in fact, they are not. Many, for example, are enslaved to superstitions. Others fear the dead, whom they may try to appease with expensive offerings. Still others, unsure of what happens when a person dies, have an inordinate fear of death itself. Can such ones be set free from these mental, emotional, and even financial burdens? Yes! As the words of Jesus Christ quoted above show, the key to freedom is the truth. But what truth? Truth in general or truth of a specific kind?

Jesus did not leave us in doubt. “If you remain in my word,” he said, “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31, 32) Jesus’ “word,” his teachings, are found in the Bible.

When Jesus said “the truth will set you free,” he was primarily referring to being set free from sin and death. Nevertheless, knowing the truth about God’s Word also sets us free from such things as superstition, fear of the dead, and the inordinate fear of dying. How?

1. Freedom from superstition. ...

Without going through the whole article, here are some more examples of biblical truths (truths that the Bible teaches or emphasizes) that can set one free from false religious beliefs (myths/“false stories” and “teachings of demons”, 'demonic propaganda' if you will, “the philosophy and empty deception according to human tradition”):


Context: [False] Religion is a Snare and a Racket (playlist)

Two more from the playlist I'd like to highlight:

a reply to: whereislogic

Well it did not work out too well for Jesus by the looks of it.

Truth did not stop him from being crucified.

I know, yada yada yada, died for our sins and all that jazz.

In the real world through the truth can be a good or bad thing depending on the context, just like many other ideologies i suppose.

Ile give you an example, my gran went senile and had Alzheimer's in the end, and she kept on wondering where my grandpa was because she forgot he had already passed away.

Now we had to tell her he had passed away, repeatedly, when she asked where he was and why he was not there, and watch her go through all that anguish and grief a few times.

Ended up we just kept telling her he was up the stair in bed, or concocting some other reason for his absence rather than watch her have to go through such torcher.

People tell silly little lies every day and not always for malevolent or vindictive reasons.

a reply to: andy06shake

That's amazing, that's how you were raised? I'm speechless, honestly. wtf

a reply to: Untun

I was raised to know right from wrong, have a modicum of manners and respect for others, and not too entertain nonsense.

If you're speechless, i can only surmise that's because you appear to have your foot in your mouth, and good luck with being so judgmental. LoL

None of the above changes the fact that the truth can hurt, and has good and bad implications, context being the ticket.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: whereislogic

Well it did not work out too well for Jesus by the looks of it.

Truth did not stop him from being crucified.

Not really relevant. Everything worked out exactly as planned and prophecied centuries before. Has little to do with Jesus' promise that the truth (regarding theological subjects) was going to set his disciples free (as long as the condition set out by Jesus in the same statement was met: "If you remain in my word").

Of course, history testifies to the fact that that condition was not met by those the Church refers to as "the Church Fathers", such as Justin Martyr.

One Myth Leads to Another

“LOOK out,” wrote the apostle Paul to Christians living in the latter half of the first century C.E. What was he warning against? “Perhaps there may be someone who will carry you off as his prey through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men.”​—Colossians 2:8.

Despite Paul’s warning, from the middle of the second century C.E., some Christians began using concepts borrowed from ancient philosophers in order to explain their beliefs. Why? They wanted to be accepted by the educated people of the Roman Empire and thus make more converts.

Justin Martyr, one of the most famous of these Christians, believed that God’s Spokesman had manifested himself to Greek philosophers long before the arrival of Jesus. According to Justin and like-minded teachers, the contribution of philosophy and mythology to Christianity made this form of religion truly universal.

Justin Martyr’s form of Christianity became very successful in gaining converts. However, the adoption of one myth led to the creation of others and produced what is now commonly believed to be Christian doctrine. To expose these myths, compare what the following reference works say with what the Bible actually teaches.

Next page: Myth 1: The Soul Is Immortal (and/or immaterial*)

*: The difficulty lies in the fact that the meanings popularly attached to the English word “soul” stem primarily, not from the Hebrew or Christian Greek Scriptures, but from ancient Greek philosophy, actually pagan religious thought. Greek philosopher Plato, for example, quotes Socrates as saying: “The soul, . . . if it departs pure, dragging with it nothing of the body, . . . goes away into that which is like itself, into the invisible, divine, immortal, and wise, and when it arrives there it is happy, freed from error and folly and fear . . . and all the other human ills, and . . . lives in truth through all after time with the gods.”​—Phaedo, 80, D, E; 81, A.

In direct contrast with the Greek teaching of the psy·kheʹ (soul) as being immaterial, intangible, invisible, and immortal, the Scriptures show that both psy·kheʹ and neʹphesh (Hebrew), as used with reference to earthly creatures, refer to that which is material, tangible, visible, and mortal.

The Church Fathers​—Advocates of Bible Truth?

Whether you profess to be a Christian or not, your perception of the God of the Bible, of Jesus, and of Christianity may well have been influenced by them. One of them was called Golden-Mouthed; another, Great. Collectively, they have been described as “the supreme embodiments of the life of Christ.” Who are they? They are the ancient religious thinkers, writers, theologians, and philosophers who have shaped much of today’s “Christian” thinking​—the Church Fathers.

“THE Bible is not the totality of God’s word,” claims Greek Orthodox professor of religious studies Demetrios J. Constantelos. “The Holy Spirit that reveals the word of God cannot be confined to the pages of a book.” What could possibly be another reliable source of divine revelation? Constantelos asserts in his book Understanding the Greek Orthodox Church: “Holy Tradition and Holy Scriptures [are] viewed as two sides of the same coin.”

The core of that “Holy Tradition” includes the teachings and writings of the Church Fathers. They were prominent theologians and “Christian” philosophers who lived between the second and fifth centuries C.E. How much have they influenced modern “Christian” thought? Did they hold fast to the Bible in their teaching? What should be the solid basis of Christian truth for a follower of Jesus Christ?

Historical Background

In the middle of the second century C.E., professed Christians were defending their faith against Roman persecutors and heretics alike. However, this was an era of too many theological voices. Religious debates regarding the “divinity” of Jesus and the nature and workings of the holy spirit caused more than just intellectual rifts. Bitter disagreements and irreparable divisions over “Christian” doctrine spilled over into the political and cultural spheres, at times causing riots, rebellion, civil strife, even war. Writes historian Paul Johnson: “[Apostate] Christianity began in confusion, controversy and schism and so it continued. . . . The central and eastern Mediterranean in the first and second centuries AD swarmed with an infinite multitude of religious ideas, struggling to propagate themselves. . . . From the start, then, there were numerous varieties of Christianity which had little in common.”

During that era, writers and thinkers who felt that it was imperative to interpret “Christian” teachings using philosophical terms began to flourish. To satisfy educated pagans who were new converts to “Christianity,” such religious writers relied heavily on earlier Greek and Jewish literature. Beginning with Justin Martyr (c. 100-165 C.E.), who wrote in Greek, professed Christians became increasingly sophisticated in their assimilation of the philosophical heritage of the Greek culture.

...

The Apologists—Christian Defenders or Would-Be Philosophers?

All these links, articles and truths/facts are for those that are interested in 'the truth that sets you free' from “the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men.” (that Paul was talking about at Colossians 2:8; free from having being made a mental/spiritual or figurative captive of Babylon the Great/false religion, much like the Israelites were once captives in literal Babylon)

Incidentally, the Greeks got their religious philosophies and myths from ancient Babylon, including evolutionary myths, immortal and immaterial soul-stuff, and the myths concerning hell that were discussed in my previous comment (last video).

...

Ancient Babylonian religious concepts and practices are found in religions worldwide

“Egypt, Persia, and Greece felt the influence of the Babylonian religion . . . The strong admixture of Semitic elements both in early Greek mythology and in Grecian cults is now so generally admitted by scholars as to require no further comment. These Semitic elements are to a large extent more specifically Babylonian.”—The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria (Boston, 1898), M. Jastrow, Jr., pp. 699, 700.

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Belief regarding death: “Neither the people nor the leaders of religious thought [in Babylon] ever faced the possibility of the total annihilation of what once was called into existence. Death was a passage to another kind of life.”—The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria, p. 556.

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Source: Babylon the Great (Reasoning From the Scriptures)

a reply to: whereislogic

Might seem pretty relevant if it was you or i being crucified.

As to not being relevant, well that's just organised religious practice, in all its many guises, in spades in this day of age.

Either way, and as i have suggested the truth can hurt and enslave just as much as it can help and set you free depending on the circumstance and context.

And that's just a fact as opposed to a book, that's a creation of man with all his fear and fallibility laid bare, aka both treatments of the Bible.