A Disagreeable Truth

Robert L. Wichterman

Robert L. Wichterman writes from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Postmodernism has become the preferred religion of our politically correct culture. Unfortunately, it has also corrupted our society, and has attacked the concept of any rules for social conduct. Postmodernism is not only anti-Christian, it considers Christianity to be an uncompromising and harsh religion.

Everyone has, from time to time, stretched the truth, or told an out-right lie in order to save themselves from a penalty. These relativists believe "truth" is a fiction which serves the privileges of the elite. Postmodern relativism has infected our culture in a distressing form.

It did not, for instance, matter that President Obama lied when he told the country "If you like your insurance (and your doctor) you may keep it. Period!" The only important fact was that it helped to pass the Affordable Care Act. The end justifies the means. Truth is irrelevant. All one-party governments, including Islamic ones, believe that the statements by their officials become "truth" if they serve the preferred cause. Even here in America, except for math and science, what is true has become "it depends."

The Texas gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis was caught inventing her autobiography. When her lie was exposed, she would not apologize. She said only, "My language should be tighter."

In 2007, Senator Hillary Clinton was vocally opposed to the Iraq War. When she learned that the military surge had been successful, she replied, "It required a suspension of disbelief." As a postmodernist, opposing the war was the truth, no matter whether we were winning or not. As Secretary of State, she set aside the murders of our Ambassador plus three other Americans in Benghazi with the comment, "What difference does it make?"

On February 2, 2014, Fox's Bill O'Reilly interviewed President Obama prior to the Super Bowl. The President attempted to change the facts about the attack on the American Embassy in Benghazi by claiming that it was a Fox News invention, and that he - Bill O'Reilly - had tricked Susan Rice into saying that the attack was spontaneously provoked by an American video denigrating Islam. He also blamed Fox News for creating the report that the IRS was abusing conservative groups who were filing to become tax-exempt. The media will never, unfortunately, hold him accountable for endeavoring to alter the facts regarding those two incidents. It was a postmodernist ploy. Without the presumption of objective truth, there are no lies, just opposing narratives and dialogue.

Relativism is taught in our colleges and universities as the "right way." Their message is that there is no transcendent truth. Christians obviously know better. They also accept the tenet from Romans 3:23 that "All have sinned and fall short of God's glory."

Postmodern apostles though believe that doctrine is blasphemy. They hold, for instance, that a law which requires the President, or any governmental officer, to administer legislation passed by the U.S. Congress, or a state's legislature, to be only binding on them to follow it if, by so doing, a greater social cause is served. They thus supported President Obama instructing his Attorney General, Eric Holder, to cease enforcing the federal Defense of Marriage Act as he - the President - no longer agrees with it. It did not matter that the DOMA was passed by the Congress in 1996, and signed by then President William Clinton.

When James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, lied under oath to Congress by stating that they do not spy on American citizens, that was not perjury as understood by a postmodernist. He was saying it to appease some of President Obama's conservative Republican critics. Again, the end justifies the untruth.

What may we do to overcome this disease known as Postmodernism? The United States was founded, and was considered by most immigrants, to be a nation of laws. However, when officials up to and including our President, only have to uphold those laws with which they agree, we are heading down that "slippery slope" which could lead to us no longer being a force for good in the world.

No one looks to the many corrupted governments in South America and the Mid-East for leadership. Due to our generally law-abiding and honest society, we are the standard by which other countries are measured. Postmodern relativism is, to some extent, the result of the demise of our Judeo-Christian culture. Those who are able to see where we are heading because of this malady must become united. If we no longer stand for what is truth, then President Obama will have achieved his goal: to change us. We must speak with one voice publically and at the polling places, choosing only those leaders who will end our slide into moral nihilism.

We also have to educate the electorate to understand where they are taking this nation with their votes for the candidate who promises them everything up to, and including, free health insurance. But, given the tendency of the general public to "vote their pocketbook," this view will be difficult to promote convincingly. There will be some wins and many losses. The message which must go out is that if we continue to allow our elected and appointed officials to selectively enforce only those laws and regulations with which they agree, we will no longer be a "nation of laws." The corruption of some weaker members of officialdom will increase, and the moral decline of our once great nation will continue.

There is an immense amount of latent spiritual strength in these United States upon which we may draw. The time to bring that strength is now. For, as written in "The Three Little Pigs" tale, the wolf is at the door. *