In the world of social media, the opinions of “fact checkers” with a bachelors degree in journalism trump those of board-certified medical professionals.
Such is truth and what happens when it is confronted by a raging mob and ruthless authority.
A timeless story.
In the Book of John, we see Pontius Pilate as the state confronted by the crowd claiming Jesus to be a criminal, and demanding his “cancellation”.
Literally.
Chapter 18 records what happens.
Note how Pilate employs the Socratic process questioning “truth” as symbolized by Jesus:
“Pilate answered, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?’
“Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants [would] be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here.’
“So Pilate said to him, ‘Then you are a king?’
“Jesus answered, ‘You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’
“Pilate said to him, ‘What is truth?’
“When he had said this, he again went out to the Jews and said to them, ‘I find no guilt in him.’
Well, we know what happens to “truth” when confronted by a raging mob and ruthless authority. We know how this story ends.
That truth parable is some 2000 years old. Yet remains relevant today.
So here is a modern day parable involving truth. A renowned pathologist shares his view of truth in the face of a raging mob and authority?
How fast do you think this one will go down a 1984 “memory hole?”
Econophysics2020 