Truth versus a Viewpoint
Everybody thinks they know what is true. Aren't most truths really just a viewpoint? Is it not more accurate to say there is some truth in just about everything but not complete truth in anything? True ignorance is when you think you've got something all figured out. I believe that political parties, religions, governments, those with social agendas, and everybody in between would get along much better if we could adopt the idea that we have a viewpoint about our belief and not the truth. Truth does not change. Viewpoints change. Truth is not relative, it just is. That which is truth is universal. We exist, all things are connected, and all of life is evolving towards something greater than what it is now. Those are truth's(in my viewpoint). Everything else is relative and subject to change.
Slavery was once ok because it was a truth that the black man had no soul, he was equal to an animal. As we evolved the "truth" about black people changed. Limbo used to be a truth in the Catholic church, but no longer. Cutting and bleeding the sick used to lead to healing, it was true then but not true now. There was a time when cigarettes where harmless to your health, then they became harmful. Spanking children is ok and a few years later, it's not ok. There wasn't any truth that changed here, just our viewpoint because we evolved on these issues. We can look at any aspect of religion, medical science, or any social issue and see that things we once adopted as truth eventually changed as we evolved in our knowledge or decided as a culture to change the way we looked at something.
An artist knows that what they create is just an expression or a viewpoint. Modern science and research knows that they are engaged in a process of learning about something and that whatever truth they learn, it is only temporary until a greater truth is discovered. On the other hand, religions, political parties, and about 90% of the people on earth believe they are blessed with the truth. Is this not the basis for most wars, and in fact, isn't this the real reason for most communication breakdowns between governments, religions, cultures, and even families? If we could accept the truth that we are operating from a viewpoint more often that from truth, wouldn't we all get along a lot better? Viewpoints are ok because that is saying that this is who we are at this moment in time and therefore this is how things appear to be to me at this moment in time. And we can say that, knowing that we are open to evolve and eventually have a finer or higher viewpoint on whatever that thing is that we are expressing as our truth. In a black and white world everything would be right or wrong, good or bad. There would be one true religion, one right government, and every argument would have a right and a wrong person. Aren't we lucky the world is not black and white, but colorful! All this being said, it's really just my viewpoint....and that's the truth!