Friends: Truth has a freeing effect, where lies tend to gum up the works.  Whose side is Satan on? - Bob

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Spirituality Column #984

September 24, 2024

Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary

Tell the Truth  

By Bob Walters 

“If you hold to my teaching, then you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – Jesus, John 8:31-32. 

“When [Satan] lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” – Jesus, John 8:44

Is it just me, or has our politically divided country the past couple of weeks been more consumed than usual with calling everyone on the other side “liars”?

Who’s lying? Who’s telling the truth? How do we tell the difference?

We can study scripture for eternity and not know precisely whether late night talk show raconteur Jimmy Kimmel should have been fired for telling a mockingly absurd lie about Charlie Kirk’s murderer. It’s “Free speech!” don’t you know. Who’s the sinner here?

Was it even Kimmel’s job to tell the truth? I can’t remember the last time, if ever, I cared about or believed what he said.  Ditto Stephen Colbert.  Both were shouting into a sophistic, leftist, disingenuous television abyss of dissension and hate that played narrowly to like-minded but dwindling audiences. I ignored them; some folks reveled in them. Leftists have a hysteria-laced, apocalyptic opinion about it. Freedom of speech is crucified!

It’s the end of the world as we know it, and nobody feels fine. I say, “Maranatha.”

Lies are – unconditionally – a product of this world, i.e., Satan. Who is the “father of lies”? See John 8:44. Who is the “prince of the world”? See John 12:31. How will we know truth? By Jesus (John 8:32) whom we implore prayerfully in our hearts, minds, and souls.

Scripture will never tell us the truth about late night television employment decisions. I would actually know nothing about Kimmel or Colbert (or many others) over the years if Fox News didn’t use video clips of their shows and other network “late night comedy” and daytime talk show commentary as fodder for critical and heated expressions of conservative outrage. It just so happens I’m more likely to agree with Fox’s outrage than with the drum-beat, lock-step leftist outrage / narrative of most other media. But that’s just me.

I remain mindful of truth, or the absence of it, and strive to discern the sincere pursuit of factual objectivity vs. disingenuous narrative. My dad was an honest journalist in the 1950s and 60s, and I received a journalism degree in the 1970s. Then, objectivity was still a thing. Headlines, for example, were written to inform, not incite. Freedom included responsibility.

Most media and 100 percent of leftist politicians are currently at DefCon1 decrying “Trump is destroying free speech!” Yeah, well … free speech, not the truth, is their weapon.

As Charlie Kirk rests in peace with Jesus, many, many of us would like to grieve in peace here.  Holman Jenkins writing in the Wall Street Journal noted that Trump administration FCC chairman Brendan Barr (who is probably toast) applied some ill-advised “easy way or the hard way” pressure to the networks. Even Ted Cruz objected … strenuously.

Jenkins added, truthfully, that TV news and talk shows have long been unprofitable so networks didn’t fight to defend money-losing properties. But I think Barr’s optics were bad.

I was disappointed Fox News focused only on “market forces” and low ratings while ignoring the administration’s thumb on the scales. There is a lot to this as a complex, multi-tiered business / political / media / freedom story, as well as a network affiliates “community standards” story. Still, I believe Kimmel’s dismissal is a step in the right direction by pouring disinfecting sunlight onto wildly irresponsible commentary and leftist strictures on truth.   

Insensitive and untrue? Yeah, Kimmel was that and will continue to be. If ever a fellow had “his own truth,” it’s him. But like the guy who shot Charlie Kirk, shouldn’t we pray for their salvation, since they “know not what they do”? Interestingly, Kirk believed in capital punishment.

Truth, generally, brings love, righteousness, and closeness to God. Lies do Satan’s work of attacking God’s glory and fomenting hateful chaos. Discern wisely, and speak truth.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) notes the left didn’t yell “Free Speech!” when Trump was earlier hoaxed, deplatformed, and censured. Defending free speech is different from defending truth. Btw, “DefCon1” (“nuclear war is underway”) is from the 1983 movie War Games.