Are You Searching For The Truth?

A lot of people I know would tell you they have found the truth or that they are searching for it. But, is that really the case? I have a friend who says he is searching for the truth. But, he is not praying, not reading up on science, not studying philosophy, not seeking out logic, and rarely seeking to take this search outside his own mind. Is that searching for the truth? On the flip side I have friends who sit in circles of people who share the same beliefs as them, they read only books that tell them what they are looking to hear, and they discuss topics with people who won't challenge them on it. Is this really searching for the truth? In both cases here I don't think these people are searching for the truth. They might be searching for peace of mind. They might be searching for what is comfortable. So, what does a search for the truth look like? Let's take a look at a few characteristics I've noticed.

You Take Stock Of Your Own Beliefs

In order to search for the truth, I think, you need to know yourself. You need to know your own belief system and how that causes you to look at the world. I point this out because most Christians don't have a biblical world view. They have a naturalist world view (belief about the universe) and don't even know it. If someone is non-Christian the prevailing belief system about the universe is naturalism. But, how many people know this about themselves? How many people know how they came about this belief? And, how many people realize how it causes them to view the information that passes in front of them?

The same can be said of any world view. Because our world view shapes how we interpret the information placed in front of us it is one of the most important things to realize about ourselves.

Talk To People That Challenge You

One of the greatest benefits I have found in life is people who challenge the way I think. I'm not talking about people that tell me they don't believe me or that I am wrong. I'm talking about people who question what I am thinking and force me to think through it. They force me to test what I am thinking against situations, ideas, and circumstances that I had not already thought of.

Read Ideas That You Don't Agree With

I find reading books and papers from people that I don't agree with to be a challenge. They force me to consider different ideas. They force me to re-think what I think. They open the door to new possibilities, show evidence I have not seen, and provide different interpretations to evidence I already know about.

But, this is one place to be very careful. Most of this information doesn't provide a complete picture of the basis for their conclusions. While Darwin explains, in The Origin of Species, that part of his view of evolution is based on his belief in naturalism there are many other authors who take that point for granted and don't point it out. And, while many of the religious authors are almost forced to talk about their belief many don't spell it out. For example, there are a number of naturalist Christian science authors who don't have a biblical world view. So, searching through the material to find the grounds for how they interpret it can sometimes be quite difficult.

Accept That You May Be Wrong

It's hard for anyone to think that they may be wrong. We are a proud people. If we get into a debate we will regularly fight our point to the end, even if we realize that we are wrong. To accept that we may be wrong is a humbling experience. If we are going to honestly seek truth we need to open ourselves up to the notions we hold being wrong.

So, are you honestly seeking the truth? Or, are you just looking to reinforce what you already believe?