The Whole Story

“The Whole Story”

One of the the things that needs to be taught is a healthy skepticism about what one sees and hears to be true.

What someone else has heard is not true just because someone trustworthy repeats it. We often fall in the trap of assuming the truth of the assertions someone makes with no intent to lie.

For instance, if someone you trust forwards you an email that you know to be a scam, it is not suddenly valid merely because a trustworthy source sent it to you.

Likewise, when folks repeat various gossip or misconceptions of others, it does not necessarily make it true.

Here are some examples:

-A man’s own mother sent him an upsetting internet rumor. He asked me and I assured him it was not true. He then replied, confused, “but my own mother sent it.”

-Many drivers (and even some insurance agents staff) are under the impression that filing an Uninsured motorists claim against your own insurance hurts you in some way. It cannot.

-People will sometimes say, “I had to have a new car because I needed something reliable.” They have heard this and bought into it, but the new car they buy is really used when they drive it.

-Folks assume that “if someone is hurt on your property it is automatically your fault.” This is not true, and has never been true, but folks have always heard it and believe it.

-Students in grade school are often convinced it takes seven years to digest gum. Oddly, the gum stays in them for about a day, but that fact does not interfere with their beliefs.

-Some college kids are convinced that sucking on a penny can beat a breathalyzer. Nope. If you drink and drive and hurt someone in your vehicle or another, you are likely to be charged with a DUI and get sued by me.

In other words, consider the source of the information that the person is relying upon, more so than just the source.

This could not be more true than with eternity. Neither Buddha, Mohamed nor Confucius could defeat their own death. Only Jesus even claimed to.  Trust Him.