Truth or Consequences

Does truth matter any more?

“Now hold on just a minute! Of course truth matters. Why wouldn’t it?”

To a large number of people that forward “Urban Legend” emails without checking their authenticity, truth doesn’t seem to matter at all. The only standard seems to be that the sender believes the message, no matter how far-fetched or crazy it sounds.

To tell you the truth, it’s about to drive me crazy! Relatives and friends continue to forward such emails daily with no thought to the damage being done.

“Urban Legends” are a form of modern folklore consisting of dubious stories believed by their tellers to be true. A recent example is the email circulated in 2009 and again in 2010 proclaiming President Obama had cancelled the National Day of Prayer while participating in a Muslim prayer session in a mosque at the White House. Thousands believed and forwarded it.

In fact, Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation for a Day of Prayer both years. He did cancel the ecumenical service at the White House, choosing instead to observe the day in private.

The email however got all the facts wrong and even showed a picture of the President entering a mosque (taken in Turkey) as proof of the claims. What’s astounding is that Americans were duped into thinking there’s a mosque at the White House or on the Capitol grounds!

Here we are, the most techno-savvy generation in history. It takes less than 30 seconds to do an Internet search to check the truthfulness of such claims. Yet no one seems to care that much about the truth. Sad, indeed.

Such people remind me of contestants on the old TV show, “Truth or Consequences.” On the show, people had about two seconds to answer an off-the-wall trivia question correctly before a buzzer sounded.

If the contestant couldn’t complete the "Truth" portion (which happened in most cases), there would be "Consequences," usually a zany and embarrassing stunt. Then Bob Barker ended the show with his signature signoff saying, "Hoping all your consequences are happy ones."

The similarity is that, by not getting to the truth, we embarrass ourselves and look like fools. Plus, by spreading what are essentially lies, we are participating in gossip, slander or worse.

Truth should matter to us because it matters to God.

Jesus Christ claimed to be “the way, the truth and the life.” He said, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” He said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” He added, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

That’s a part of what Christians call the Gospel or the Good News about Jesus Christ. But if we’re known for spreading mean-spirited lies, who will believe us when we share the Gospel?

This is critical because the consequences of having faith in the wrong religion are eternal. So if you call yourself a Christian, always be known for telling the truth!

So before you click the “Send” button on that Urban Legend, check the truthfulness of the claims in the story. Just put a few key words in an Internet search box and check it out. If it’s true, send it on. If it’s not, hit delete because your reputation and integrity are on the line.

And before you live another day, check out the claims of Jesus Christ. Because if it’s true that he is the Son of God and died for your sin, then he is the only way to eternal rest, reward and a reunion with loved ones who have gone on before us.

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!