Truth and Freedom

For centuries, the relation of truth to freedom in the West has been carried by the notion established in John 8:32, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” The verb expressing knowledge in this case is future tense, middle voice, indicating self action, so you choose to know, in this sense. Specifically, you choose to know Christ and that knowledge will set you free. What that freedom is, is not specified.

But this knowledge comes with a price. Such a “Truth” sets parameters on what you can know, what is truth, and what is real. An absolute Truth is total, leaving no room for contradiction, so if the evidence of your life that you encounter is contrary to the truth, you experience cognitive dissonance (a mental discomfort), or your notion of the Truth breaks or it breaks you. Or, you break Occam’s Razor, and create an elaborate explanation that is far more complex (and non-representative) than the reality it seeks to contextualize.

So, Truths, big “T” truths, are the enemy of freedom. In fact, they are draconian in their insistence on compliance, brooking no deviation from their interpretation of reality. If you do not believe the complete system of the Truth, without deviation, you are defective, degenerate, and totally consumed by sin. You are also cast out.

But all is not lost, for while the big “T” truths constrain us and our choices, the truths of everyday reality can, indeed, set us free. Knowing truth in the everyday sense allows us to act in the world and interact in society. The diversity and variety of life in the world cannot be constrained by the big “T” truths as they seek to establish what is right and real, without regard to the lived experience of the sum of humanity.

Our lives are vibrant, dynamic processes. No dogma, be it Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Taoist or Nativist, can account for the richness of what we live. But the everyday truths of life are the bread and butter of our experiences. They give meaning to our becoming in the world. We live in this world, irrespective of the Truths that would condemn us in our struggles for meaning. For what allows us to live most fully is not necessarily provided by the Truths that would constrain us, but by the sharing with others of the lives that we live.

But for all who suffer the indignities of judgement at the hands of Truth, there is compassion. In the interstices of Truth, there are practitioners who understand that the rigidity of absolutism is damaging to the soul and for those who suffer, regardless of Truth, a gentle acknowledgment of the humanity of others and the frailty of their own humanity becomes a solace in the maelstrom that is life. We live without absolute foreknowledge of our lives and in the absence of knowing, we make choices based upon belief. If those choices are tied to an Absolute Truth, the life lived diverges from the reality experienced and there is suffering. If those choices are tied to the truths of everyday life, the life lived is in harmony with the reality experienced, however there is still suffering, but it is free of judgement; the suffering is temporal, not eternal.

If the measure of our existence is an Absolute Truth, we are always lacking; no human can achieve the perfection that dogmas require. But if our existence is measured by the heartbeat of our daily lives, our truths are down to earth and understandable within the context of our existence. We can know where we are and who we are with compassion. No Absolute Being is required to pass judgment on our lives; we simply live mindfully with ourselves and with others.

If the Truth makes us right, we choose to be right or to be free. This transcends any Absolutes. We can be tied to our points of view, demanding that others agree that these are right and in that, we are slaves to our beliefs. There is no freedom to understand the Other and without that freedom, our Truths define the Other as the enemy and they brook no common ground. When we choose to be right, we suffer. When we choose to be free, our suffering is transient and we see the Other as ourself, with compassion and respect. We engage in understanding, and that choice makes us free.

There is a beauty in the words expressed by John 8:32. But the beauty lies in our reference point. If the truth is absolute, we have no freedom to experience life in any way other than that prescribed by the dogma at hand. But, if the truth is our lived experience, there is no prescription; our lives are what they are in their full richness. To live without judgement is to live free. To live without judging others, that transcends difference and celebrates our diverse humanity, and lets us be free.

The kernel of that acceptance lives within all the belief systems that seek to understand the human condition. They just are not institutionalized. If you seek acceptance in the mainstream, big “T” truth, it isn’t there because that is not a part of the dogma. As Nikos Kazantzakis said in The Last Temptation of Christ, “God is not an Israelite!” Nor is God a Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Taoist or Nativist. God is a construct of our need for compassion when our fellow humans cast us out. God is the sum total of our human imperfections crying out for acceptance and affirmation. Only we, as humans, can grant it.