While using online banking recently, I read “Help the Environment. Turn off paper
statements,” Well that’s a no-brainer. Why not!
Sounds like a large company that is concerned about the
environment. While they probably are, we all suspect that profit-loss is the larger
concern in there altruism.
If the bank sends a paper statement to their 3.5 million retail
customers it will take roughly 200+ trees to produce that paper. Someone has
calculated there are nearly 247 billion trees of a diameter of more than one
inch in the United States.[1] The
difference on the environment is microscopic.
The point is, they are saying something that seems valid at
face value. But it’s more complicated than that. It is debatable at the very least,
and may not even be true.
Another common refrain in the US is the call to buy now and
save! If you don’t buy it now, you won’t save. It’s never about spending, it’s
always about saving. So we spend more than we want to at the moment, because we
know we’re saving.
On the day of the crucifixion the Roman Governor asked
Jesus, “What is truth?”[2]
Someone I know who is facing a legal proceeding was told privately
by his lawyer, “The truth doesn’t matter
in this issue. It’s really not about the truth.”
Really? No law firm would ever advertize that.
Every culture I’ve been in has blind spots. Things they
believe that are not true.
Here in the United States many people more intelligent than
I believe the oceans are here as the result of meteor hits. (Picture)
We believe that individual rights trump broad society-wide
freedoms.
We believe we’re smarter than past generations.
Not everything we believe is true.
The Roman Governor's question had been triggered by something Jesus said. "… the reason I was
born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the
side of truth listens to me.”[3]
[1] http://www.savatree.com/tree-facts.html,
“interesting Facts About Trees”
[2]
John 18:38
[3]
John 18:37
