Defining Truth

Integrity is telling myself the Truth. Honesty is telling the Truth to other people. – Spencer Johnson

(Val) Yesterday was a day of privilege for Americans. A day where we had the opportunity to cast our vote for people, amendments and propositions that would help to shape the future of our government, both locally and nationally.

As I stood in line to cast my vote, I looked at the words stenciled on the wall above the voting booths. The honesty and integrity quote by Spencer Johnson stared down at me, and I couldn’t help but think about the irony of those words hanging over the heads of hundreds of voters as they checked “yes” or “no” next to one of the most deceptive and contentious items ever to be put before Missouri voters.

In the weeks and months leading up to this election, I had prayed that the truth about Amendment 2 would be known. The truth that it would actually allow for the legalization of human cloning for scientific research, research that would be paid for by Missourians for now until eternity because there is wording built in that mandates funding that can never be taken away or decreased. It also makes it illegal for this amendment to be challenged in a court of law, making any attempt to remove it, even if no cures are ever found, a criminal offense.

I thought to myself that surely Missouri voters would not be as radically nutso as the Californians who passed their own ridiculous piece of “scientific legislation” two years ago. I knew that true Missourians live up to their “Show-Me” reputations with pride and would not allow big business to shaft them again the way they did with the gambling disease that has infected our state like a parasite.

As I fell asleep last night, the numbers looked good. Amendment 2 was losing by a healthy margin, and although I knew that anything could happen as more votes were counted, I closed my eyes with a calm heart.

When I awoke this morning to the news that Amendment 2 had passed, I honestly thought I was going to be physically ill. How this could happen is beyond my imagination. How could so many people fail to educate themselves on such an important issue? How was such misleading wording allowed on our ballots in the first place? Who was responsible for the craftily-worded deception that blinded so many people to the truth?

At first I was angry. Very angry. All I could think about was what I wanted to say to the Stowers family: “Bravo! You bought the outcome you wanted so now you can start raking in your billions of dollars off the backs of Missouri taxpayers. You are masters of the ultimate conspiracy, sellers of the big lie, and you will now be responsible for the sacrifice of unknown numbers of potential lives. You must be so proud.”

Then I sat back, took a deep breath and prayed, and I realized how sad it the whole situation is. I wanted to cry with the understanding that so many people cling to this false hope because they are hurting and will grasp at any available straw, no matter how tiny the chance that any cures will ever be found using embryonic stem cell research. It breaks my heart that people like Michael J. Fox, who, like so many Missourians, never even read the amendment, put their hopes in man and science instead of the only One who can really help them.

Deception and lies are the opposite of honesty and integrity. The group responsible for the creation of Amendment 2, who supported it, pushed for it and actually got it passed are experts at the craft of treachery. They are so deep into it that they actually believe their own lies and are so blinded that they can’t see the truth when it is right in front of them. In other words, they have no integrity because not only did they lie to the public, but they lied to themselves.

Today I made a choice. Rather than hold on to my anger, I let it go and gave it to God. Instead of being mad at the people who did this, I pity them and pray for them. I pray for those who lied to Missouri voters, and I pray for those who were deceived because eventually the truth will come out, and righteousness will prevail, and they are going to feel a terrible sense of shame and guilt.

Yes, we conservatives lost a battle yesterday with regard to our candidates, and more importantly, this huge stem cell debacle. But for those of us who know that this earth and the things in it are fleeting, our hearts are not troubled. We are simply on a brief detour. Yesterday’s battle is over, but others will follow. The good news is that each and every one of those battles belongs to God, and He has already won.

Knowledge is relevant. Truth is absolute. Problems arise when we confuse the two. – David Tait