Truth matters

As anyone who knows me can tell you, I’ve very passionate about what I believe in.  This is why I bothered actually studying what’s going on in Ukraine (and, hence, why I’m not a vatnik, I doubt Tucker Carlson even cares what Ukrainians have to say, although Ukrainian national news is not exactly unbiased Two hours of lies and delusions: Putin’s “sensational” interview with Tucker Carlson ), and Israel.  It’s why I love to read.  It’s why I know better than to trust “the science™”.  It’s not because I think the news is always lying to me (they couldn’t be, if they were, I wouldn’t know about the building collapse in Davenport, Iowa, which is where I was born, and family and friends have confirmed that’s what happened, 3 bodies recovered in Iowa building collapse; lawsuit accuses city, owners of negligence). 

But, what about when we’re wrong?  Well, is it a sin to be wrong?  It’s a sin to lie. (Revelation 21:8), but, what if you’re convinced that a lie is true, in spite of the evidence to the contrary?  Then what?  Remember, souls are on the line, here. 

Well, I think it depends.  Are you actively searching for the truth?  Because truth matters, so much so, that Jesus tells us that HE is truth:

“Thomas saith to him: ‘Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way’.  Jesus saith to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No man cometh to the Father but by me”.  (John 14:5-6). 

Of course, there’s more to it (and I encourage you to read it on your own), but notice something.  Jesus didn’t say “I am a way”, he said I am THE way.  Whether it be Putin praising vatnik, or Catholics that support religious persecution and abortion (Russia bans Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Catholic ministries in occupied region of Ukraine, but I repeat myself), Jesus Christ makes it clear that HE is the truth.  And this is why truth matters.

So, when a respected journalist has the chance to interview a world leader that’s also a dictator (because that’s what Putin is), then you have the moral obligation to tell the truth.  You have the moral obligation to call it out.  Two things that have ALWAYS been at odds, are communism and Christianity (or at least the classic Marxist theory of it).  Yet, Putin has openly stated that he likes communism ( Russia's Putin: I've Always Liked Communist and Socialist 'Ideas')

I don’t want to make this about Putin, or a conservative journalist I used to respect, and largely influenced my own political views.  No, I want to make this about truth.  For you see, I am not convinced that Putin, or, for that fact, Patriarch Kirill, can claim to be Christians in good standing within the traditional meaning of the word.  I mean, how many Christian KGB agents spied on churches in Switzerland? (Patriarch Kirill worked for the KGB in the 1970s, Swiss media reports)

I don’t know what Tucker is doing, but, I truly believe he’s being force fed vatniki rubbish and, as for Patriarch Kirill, well, let’s go the Gospel of Matthew on that one:

“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves.” (Matthew 23:15).

I think a big problem is Orthobros.  So, who are Orthobros?  Mainly, members of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (and please note, I am not saying individual members are all like this, and I am not saying ROCOR officially teaches this, at least I hope they don’t), but, here’s the thing, many of these people, at least in their online personas…are very Anti-Western.  They are not just pro-Russian, but Anti-Western, and they try to make “Ukraine” a stand-in for the west.  From vatniki, you’ll hear the refrain “But Ukraine is corrupt”, ah yes, because what is probably the most corrupt country in Europe is well known for its crackdowns on corruption.  

So, why do I think that Mr. Carlson, an Episcopalian, is influenced by this?  Let’s be honest.  When we have a media that HAS lied so much, we tend to become distrustful, even with things that probably are true.  So, we replace it with a reality that we want to be true.  In other words, my guess is, Tucker or his staff, typed in the “truth” about Ukraine into a search engine, and a bunch of ROCOR vatnik sites came up.  Logic be damned. 

Of course, one can make an argument that western countries outside of Europe shouldn’t be sending so much money to Ukraine.  That’s a different question altogether.  But, when your refrain is “Ukraine is corrupt”, or, as Marjorie Taylor Greene (whom I like a lot about) absurdly stating that we need to make sure the money going to Ukraine isn’t going to Hamas.  About that: (Fact Check: Fake BBC clip on Ukrainian politician selling arms to Hamas)/ (and keep in mind, I am not fond of the term “fact check”, but, given that Iran has aligned itself with Russia, it is unlikely Ukraine would be supporting Hamas)

Looks to me, like it is Russia that’s aligned with Hamas, given Iran supports Hamas, and Russia and Iran seem to be friendly toward each other.   ( Russia-Iran Arms Deal Could Be A Win-Win For Moscow And Tehran). 

And let’s not even get into the Russia-China alliance (China agreed to secretly arm Russia, leaked Pentagon documents reveal)

I’ll be fair, I’ll even give Conservative criticism of Tucker Carlson’s interview with Putin (Putin totally used Tucker Carlson. David Satter with Sebastian Gorka on AMERICA First)

Truth matters, because Jesus himself is the truth.  You’ll note that Jesus calls himself “the truth”, in John 14:6. 

In fact, in that very same gospel, Pilate asks Jesus “what is truth”? (John 18:38).  So, truth matters, because, as Christians, we believe that truth is a person, namely the person of Jesus Christ. 

With that, I leave you this,

“’Pilate therefore said to him: Art thou a king then?’ Jesus answered him: Thou sayest that I am a king.  For this was I born, and for this I came into the world; that I should give testimony to the truth; Every one that is of truth, heareth my voice.’

Pilate saith to him: ‘What is truth?’  And when he said this, he went out again to the Jews, and saith to them: I find no cause in him’” (John 18:37-38)

Pilate asked “What is truth”?  While looking at truth himself.  Truth matters.  With regards to what I said at the beginning of this, I think, if Tucker is looking for the truth, then good for him.  But, having seen the Orbán interview (Tucker Carlson Interviews Hungary's Viktor Orbán,  which I myself have described as a lovefest), I’m not sure he is.
I’m not judging Tucker’s soul.  But, I can say, objectively, that he isn’t being entirely honest.  Even if he thinks he is.  Because the very people he’s interviewing, aren’t being honest. 
I commend Tucker for interviewing world leaders that are rather unlikable.  I cannot commend him for not pushing back on a lot of their claims. 
That’s not journalism.
And it’s not truth.

*All verses from the Douay Rheims version of the Bible