Get It Right

I think Trump would agree that Time magazine is telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But, I have a problem with “The Truth” these days. Fake news tells “The Truth” as made up by the writer. That is, it sounds like “The Truth,” something Stephen Colbert called “Truthiness.” That’s a thing that isn’t true, but sounds like it could be.

I prefer facts. “The Truth” won’t send a rocket to Mars, but “Facts” will. Facts aren’t as noble or holy as “The Truth.” Jesus never said “the facts shall set you free.” The thing I like about “facts” is they are without judgment. They just sit there, sometimes making you joyful and sometimes making you want to tear your hair out. It’s a fact that Jesus was born. The Jewish historian Josephus briefly talks about him and his many followers. Stories of when and where Jesus was born are considered to be the truth by many people, but they don’t demand to see his birth certificate. Facts require proof. The truth doesn’t. You might say, facts are truth proof.