"Truth Is a Right Wing Concept"

British journalist, Melanie Philips, made headlines with a recent statement in several forums: “Truth is a right wing concept.” I point out her quote to indicate that a large segment of population today rejects the reality of absolute or objective truth. The left wing today defines itself as progressive, which in a foundational way says what was once truth can change. To the left, progress depends on it. To the right, continued human flourishing depends on conserving already established truth. The right might advocate progress based upon a better alignment with or accomplishment of the truth. Truth buttresses progress. Decline occurs through distortion of truth.

Now, if you say, “the truth,” the left labels you one or more of many different ways: authoritarian, misogynist, homophobe, transphobe, white supremacist, or even domestic terrorist. With one of these branding you because of your saying, “the truth,” these two words have become hate speech. The left believes in cancelling “hate speech,” because by definition it commits violence. They criminalize it because of its assault on those who hear it. State universities no longer want “the truth.”

An earlier iteration of attack on “the truth” said, “Your truth is your truth and my truth is my truth.” The left still accepts that. They say, since truth is a construct, everyone constructs his own truth. Therefore, truth is a social construct. Power constructs its truth to oppress others. The left condones its own violence against such oppressive speech.

Jesus Himself said, “I am the truth.” No way could the truth of Jesus survive a society that thinks, believes, and teaches this way about the truth.