Conversion Zindabad — 6
Are we free to know the truth?
My friend who said that “religious conversion is not good” believes that we cannot know the truth. So I asked him, you were raised in a culture which believed ‘Satyameva Jayate’, how did you come to that conclusion? Are you not making an assertion to prove that assertions cannot be true? Then, are you not like the fool who is cutting off the branch on which he is sitting?
If someone claims to have spoken the truth, do they appear arrogant, exclusive, intolerant, divisive, or judgmental to you? He responded with a resounding ‘yes’.
Don’t you see that you reject the truth when your belief is challenged by it? And since you do not choose to be on the side of the truth, it makes you inconvenient. Therefore, you completely ignore the notion of truth. You probably are not just unable to see the truth but you are deliberately suppressing it.
Authoritarian powers have often suppressed the search for the truth so that they can establish their own ‘truth’. For example, Communist regimes, Islamic theocracy, the Nazi regime, etc. Today we see this happening in India again by Hindutva. When the truth is suppressed, people lose the freedom to flourish. That is why George Orwell said, “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
For example, when I need to go to a doctor to get diagnosed with a problem, don’t I expect the doctor to tell me the truth? Truthful diagnosis can lead to good treatment and healing. If I sense that the doctor is not speaking the truth, I need the freedom to consult another doctor. Even though none of the doctors seems to tell me the truth I will not be content with lies because the truth is the ultimate goal of my quest. Truth liberates us, whereas lies keep us captive.
A society that pursues truth fosters excellence and human flourishing. It gives freedom to embrace the evidence grasped and tested by our own minds as truth. That is why many skilled Indians prefer to go and work in the US or Europe and not in Syria or Libya.
Conversion only makes sense in a society that pursues truth. Unfortunately, since we rejected the notion of truth, conversion seems unnecessary, meaningless or even offensive.
My friend replied saying, “I get this, but honestly tell me, how do you know what you believe it the truth?” So I asked him, “Are you saying that you are not sure if what you believe is the truth?” Though he did not respond, I appreciated his honesty.
‘Conversion Zindabad’ series is a partly fictional and partly actual conversations on the concept of ‘freedom of conscience’. If you like these posts and want to be notified on the new posts, follow us by clicking the button below.
