Inconvenient Truth(s)

Inconvenient Truth:


I liked very much the terms (inconvenient truth. The fact
that 58% of Swiss voters spoke against building more minarets did not
bother me at all. That was reality of democracy, or rather
demagoguery, at work.

You might want to contemplate other inconvenient facts (I dare not
call them truths since not all facts are truths. Perceived reality may
not be true reality) touched upon or implied in or triggered by the
essay:

1. Increasing secularization and concomitant decline (measured by
church attendance) of Christianity in Europe. The big question is why.
Are Europeans, especially the younger ones, finding Christianity less
relevant and meaningful?

2. Not too long ago, some Christian apologists explained the
predominance of Europe and North America (which geographically should
include Mexico, but conveniently did not) in world affairs by stating
the superiority of Christianity compared to other belief systems. I
wonder what they have to say about the rise of Japan, South Korea, and
of course China, today. Reality is a thing of many splendors. One must
have acute vision and an open heart, not smug satisfaction founded on
unsubstantiated claims of exclusivity. An inconvenient fact is that
Christianity, in its dogmas, has been intolerant of other beliefs,
hence a need for frenzied evangelism. The article explicitly mentioned
the contrast of public (read: predominantly portrayed by the West)
image of Islam and the tolerance the author experienced first hand.

3. Another inconvenient fact emerged: the author of the essay, in
contrast to the Dutch politician, is a novelist which implies he has
stories to tell, things to share, feelings he can no longer bottle up
inside. He is not interested in getting votes in order to obtain
power. His power comes from his vision, his views. Not all writers are
trustworthy and driven by higher ideals, but if I am a betting man, I
would put my money on writers than on politicians as far as truth is
concerned. I do realize there are some politicians who are committed
to serving the public and the country. Those politicians are rare,
however, as rare as snow in Houston in winter.

4. Ironies abound in everyday life, especially in the lives of
dishonest, insecure individuals. Their utterances and gestures are
full of inconvenient truths, mostly in the form of ironies. Nguyen
Minh Triet misspoke again, as brought to our attention by the partial
transcript of his remarks about closing of the detention center in
Guantanomo Bay in Cuba. I am quite sure at the time he opened his
mouth and displayed his abysmal intellect and uncouthness, he forgot
about the inconvenient fact of political and human rights activists
languishing in Vietnam's prisons. Consistency is a measure of a
person's character, and thus true worth. Too often, a coward's words
and actions don't match. To make himself look good and respectable, he
often employs platitudes, but he always slinks away when actions are
needed.

Wissai
Dec. 4, 2009