Truth Matters
Are you a victim—or a perpetrator—of mischaracterizations, gross inaccuracies, libel, slander? When we engage in disseminating information that is untrue and defamatory, whether the originator or a repeater, we court the possibility of creating serious and dangerous consequences for the victims, as well as for ourselves.
Recently, a clickbait website—whose sole purpose is spreading computer malware—wrote and posted a fictitious and slanderous article accusing author, journalist, and news analyst Fareed Zacharia of promoting the rape of white women by Islamic minority groups. They also attributed this quote to him, “Every death of a white person brings tears of joy to my eyes.” People on social media quickly fell for the “bait” and spread the malware threat by reposting the article, causing a firestorm of venom, anger, and hatred. On his official website, Zacharia’s gave this account of the aftermath:
“Hundreds of people began linking to it, tweeting and retweeting it, and adding their comments, which are too vulgar or racist to repeat. A few ultra-right-wing websites reprinted the story as fact. With each new cycle, the levels of hysteria rose, and people started demanding that I be fired, deported or killed. For a few days, the digital intimidation veered out into the real world. Some people called my house late one night and woke up and threatened my daughters, who are 7 and 12.”
Unfortunately, this is not a unique or uncommon occurrence. Scurrilous items are posted and reposted by those too hate-filled or too lazy to check for accuracy. This is the back side, the darkness of the Internet and social media.
I know firsthand the pain false rumors and careless, mean-spirited exaggeration can cause. I suffered a similar hateful episode years ago that had a deleterious effect on my well-being and that of my family. We eventually found healing and moved on, but this unfortunate experience took an injurious toll.
Truth matters. As an important facet of God’s nature, it requires our consistent, perpetual alignment and full expression of it in all we say and do. A whole chapter in my book is devoted to Truth; here is an excerpt:
“Truth is Light—dishonesty is abject darkness. In any form—prevarication, deception, duplicity, corruption, fraud, infidelity, insincerity, hypocrisy—these practices tear away at our ability to lead happy, productive lives, and are the cause of much human pain and suffering. Dishonesty in any guise can be injurious to others and hugely detrimental to our own peace and prosperity.” One Infinite Light, pg. 152
When we lose correspondence with Truth, the potential for great harm ensues. This break with all that is good, with God, can poison everything from our bodies to our relationships—and can even affect our gainful employment. The thoughts we harbor, and the resultant actions we take, can either make our human experience and those of others miserable and discordant, or joyful and harmonious—for peaceful coexistence on this planet, let’s choose Truth and Love.
Are you a victim—or a perpetrator—of mischaracterizations, gross inaccuracies, libel, slander? When we engage in disseminating information that is untrue and defamatory, whether the originator or a repeater, we court the possibility of creating serious and dangerous consequences for the victims, as well as for ourselves.
Recently, a clickbait website—whose sole purpose is spreading computer malware—wrote and posted a fictitious and slanderous article accusing author, journalist, and news analyst Fareed Zacharia of promoting the rape of white women by Islamic minority groups. They also attributed this quote to him, “Every death of a white person brings tears of joy to my eyes.” People on social media quickly fell for the “bait” and spread the malware threat by reposting the article, causing a firestorm of venom, anger, and hatred. On his official website, Zacharia’s gave this account of the aftermath:
“Hundreds of people began linking to it, tweeting and retweeting it, and adding their comments, which are too vulgar or racist to repeat. A few ultra-right-wing websites reprinted the story as fact. With each new cycle, the levels of hysteria rose, and people started demanding that I be fired, deported or killed. For a few days, the digital intimidation veered out into the real world. Some people called my house late one night and woke up and threatened my daughters, who are 7 and 12.”
Unfortunately, this is not a unique or uncommon occurrence. Scurrilous items are posted and reposted by those too hate-filled or too lazy to check for accuracy. This is the back side, the darkness of the Internet and social media.
I know firsthand the pain false rumors and careless, mean-spirited exaggeration can cause. I suffered a similar hateful episode years ago that had a deleterious effect on my well-being and that of my family. We eventually found healing and moved on, but this unfortunate experience took an injurious toll.
Truth matters. As an important facet of God’s nature, it requires our consistent, perpetual alignment and full expression of it in all we say and do. A whole chapter in my book is devoted to Truth; here is an excerpt:
“Truth is Light—dishonesty is abject darkness. In any form—prevarication, deception, duplicity, corruption, fraud, infidelity, insincerity, hypocrisy—these practices tear away at our ability to lead happy, productive lives, and are the cause of much human pain and suffering. Dishonesty in any guise can be injurious to others and hugely detrimental to our own peace and prosperity.” One Infinite Light, pg. 152
When we lose correspondence with Truth, the potential for great harm ensues. This break with all that is good, with God, can poison everything from our bodies to our relationships—and can even affect our gainful employment. The thoughts we harbor, and the resultant actions we take, can either make our human experience and those of others miserable and discordant, or joyful and harmonious—for peaceful coexistence on this planet, let’s choose Truth and Love.
