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I don’t think we’ve really considered how constant assault on even the idea of truth has affected us. Nothing matters. Lies are passed around constantly. Once respectable people be-clown themselves. Masses drink conspiracies from a fire hose. Something deep shifted last 6 mos.
2/ Sure, this has been going on for years. For decades. I know. One can track it and point to a hundred different examples. But, last 6 months it’s been different. We’ve gone over the edge, it seems. The idea of a basis we can appeal to seems lost. Lies & persuasion matter most.
3/ I’ve been writing in the public space for 15 years. There are always those who disagree, critics, and trolls. But, one could appeal to facts and reason and arguments could be made/defended. Now, for seemingly every major issue there are lies, rumors, outrage, conspiracies.
4/ Again, I know this has been trending for a long time. But, something feels different now. We’ve said for years we’re nearing an epistemological breaking point, that it’s coming. But, what if it has already come? What if we’ve broken the concept of truth? That is what I sense.
5/ The affect of this shift, this going off the edge, on church and public life is catastrophic. With no basis for truth agreed upon (only interpretations and assertions that fulfill prior commitments) the collapse is led by the most convincing, authoritative, and loud.
6/ With truth gone, all that’s left is power, tribalism, and battle for survival. I wish I could say, “Here’s how to fix this,” but once you break the thing, there are no easy fixes. We’re in for a very rough ride. I don’t get the sense that 2021 will be a return to normal.
