Rajan Zed| Reno Gazette Journal
Here is a short list of harsh/inconvenient truths many of us prefer to ignore: appreciating what we have, bad things also can happen to me, being afraid of suffering, deterioration of our bodies, exploring the existence of God, failure at perfectionism, fear, getting used to the fact that life is hard, wondering how death will come to me, lamenting that I do not have the latest iPhone, impatience, irreversible damage to the environment, coping with the fact that life is not all happiness and is not fair, acknowledging that maintaining relationships is hard work, making difficult choices, finding that material wealth does not lead to happiness, worrying that there may be no afterlife, concluding that maybe there is no real purpose to life, not being totally free, not in total control, nothing is permanent, outdated education system, outliving loved ones, relationships can end any moment, seeking society's validation, selfishness, there is always someone prettier than me, things will not go exactly as we plan, trying to be liked by everyone, uncertainty, unstacking self, etc.
We asked our panel: What harsh truths do you prefer to ignore?
Sin leads to death
Bryan Smith, lead pastor, Summit Christian Church, Sparks
I would prefer to ignore all harsh truths! But that is an unhealthy way to live. The Bible is clear that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a). Of all the harsh truths I encounter, this is probably the most ignored or down-played in my life.
Why? First is the sin nature that resides in me. Second, there are times that sin appears way more attractive than obedience. However, the outcomes are always the same — destruction, hurt, death of something in life, etc. Thankfully on the other side of this harsh truth is an even greater truth — “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23b)
When I prefer to ignore the seemingly harsh truths of God, there is still the truth of His grace and love that welcome me back into relationship and life found in him.
Mostly our mortality
Kenneth G. Lucey, philosophy/religion professor emeritus, University of Nevada
A truth most people (myself included) suppress is our own mortality. We know our time alive is finite, with the certainty of physical death at the end. Most people practice habits and lifestyles as if they were going to live forever.
Another harsh truth most people ignore is the degree of violence in our world. This violence occurs in war (as is now occurring in Ukraine) and in the gun violence on our streets, but also in individual acts of underreported or unreported violence (such as within families, and in slaughter houses where animals may be killed without humane treatment).
Another tragedy is the decline in the quality of public education (which has accelerated since COVID). Educational attainment in our country has always been uneven. But every child for whom our educational system fails is also an act of violence, because, in many ways, it destroys a life.
The inconvenient truths of death & more
Muhammed A. Quddus, member, Northern Nevada Muslim Community
The human inclinations of the avoidance of pain and seeking pleasure tend to sway our preferences towards ignoring certain inconvenient truths.
The harshest truth we prefer to ignore is the passage of time and our eventual encounter with death. Time slips through and we often contemplate our illusion of permanence. We become engrossed in the busyness of our lives, ignoring the finite nature of our existence.
As much as we yearn for control and predictability, life has a way of defying our desires. We often ignore the harsh truth that despite our best efforts, we cannot control every aspect of our lives. Unexpected circ*mstances, external factors, and the actions of others can influence the outcomes we often experience.
For the faithful, it can be uncomfortable to confront the possibility that our bad deeds could outweigh the good, leading to undesirable outcomes of damnation and exclusion from heaven in the afterlife.
The outer edge
Toni King, spiritual leader, Unity Center of Reno
Ignoring doesn’t work. There are overarching themes imbedded in humanity we each must work through on our personal journeys to enlightenment, e.g., mortality, impermanence, failures, rejections, change. Panning out to the global view, mass poverty, social injustices, political instabilities and war can be deeply troubling to the individual soul and pull us from an inner center of peace.
Personally, any inequality serves as my edge — the boundary of the metaphorical circle surrounding you containing what is deemed acceptable. When faced with anything beyond the "edge" of our comfort zones is when we get to choose: Do I react in anger, or do I hold to my faith? Whatever your spiritual practice may be, know this evil thing you are facing only has the power we give it. Focus instead on the one true power in the universe, God the good, omnipotent. From there, accept inspiration to be the change.
Judgment realities
Daniel H. Mueggenborg, bishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Reno
This is more of a personal question than a doctrinal one. The harshest truths for me to deal with on a daily basis have to do with divine judgment and the realization that temporal decisions can have eternal consequences. Jesus has revealed to us certain challenging criterion to prepare us for this most important moment.
The first of these is criterion is from the Gospel of John — Do I really have faith such that I love as Jesus loves, keep his commandments in the fullest way, and am willing to lay down my life for him as he laid down his life for me? This is a daily challenge; it can be easy to identify the times when I do exemplify this faith but I must also acknowledge the many times when I don’t and ask forgiveness.
A second harsh truth is that I am responsible for other people’s salvation.
Why choose ignorance?
Matthew T. Fisher, resident priest, Reno Buddhist Center
Buddhism is fundamentally opposed to choosing ignorance over insight. Asking me which truths I ignore is like asking a Catholic priest what sins he prefers to engage in. It's a pretty personal question that cuts quite deep.
I can say that, upon introspection, I see that I often ignore fundamental truths, out of habit or convenience. All unenlightened beings (like myself) do suffer from greed, anger, and ignorance from time to time. Truths like …nothing stays the same, the self is fluid and changeful, and that our actions have consequences can feel harsh at first. The idea that everything we hold dear will eventually fall away from us sounds harsh, but it is realistic. The Buddha was neither pessimistic nor optimistic — he was realistic. Seeing these important Truths is tough sometimes, but that’s OK. Ultimately, my errors of omission will lead to insight of the best kind.
We are a divided people
Micheal L. Peterson, northwestern Nevada media specialist, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Over the past two years or so we have all been under increasing stress and tension due to the horrendous conditions that we have had to bear. It is showing in the lack of tolerance for one another. We are a divided people and it seems to be increasing in intensity as time goes on. I can scarcely go a day without being criticized or seeing someone else treating another person badly.
Sadly, these are harsh truths and ones that I choose to ignore. I must say that it takes a lot of practice to ignore something that is upsetting to you, and I find that there are those times when I am hurt by someone close to me that, I admit, I cannot ignore. It stays with me, but with practice and prayer and reflecting upon our Savior’s life and teachings, I believe it can be possible.
Love doesn't solve everything
Dawn M. Blundell, lead pastor, Epworth United Methodist Church, Fallon
As a spiritual practice, I try to keep harsh truths front-of-mind, because if my faith can’t speak to hard things then it has very little value. But it's not easy. The hardest ones for me are:
That good intentions don’t shield us from making mistakes, or hurting people. That no matter how generous and thoughtful and kind you try to be, some people will still distrust you, and abuse you, often because you are generous and thoughtful and kind. That some humans prefer a way of life governed by hatred, no matter how much human thriving happens when hatred is put aside. That so many of us are drawn to forms of religion and politics that see everyone outside it as the enemy, and only themselves as righteous and worthy. That so many of us choose attractive lies rather than uncomfortable truths. That love sometimes doesn’t change the world.
How I manage to sleep at night
Gaia Brown, member, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Nevada
My late older sister used to phone me and tell me I was now responsible for Chile, or Bhutan, or some other country. I never understood what the responsibility entailed, but I knew it was now off her plate and on mine.
Similarly, I leave the harshest truths, the ones leading to human extinction, to others. Artificial intelligence is simply beyond my comprehension. It terrifies people much smarter than me, and I leave them to figure out how to harness its advance. And climate change — well, that I do understand, and I do what I readily can: reduce, reuse, recycle, solar panels, electric car, etc. Still, I live in a large house; I fly frequently; I eat what I enjoy. But I’m grateful for friends who tirelessly advocate for climate justice while my energy goes elsewhere, my plate being full of less existentially threatening, though still challenging, truths.
Difficult to say
ElizaBeth Webb Beyer, Jewish rabbi
In the longstanding tradition of our Sages, who, when they had difficult things to say, would consider saying them in the inverse (Brachot 17a). In that tradition, here is a list.
Friends and family are loving and kind. In any dispute, everyone works to resolve it in good faith. We truly listen to each other. We hear the Earth calling for healing and do our best to avert climate change. People respect diversity and look out for each other — prioritizing their neighbor, rather than themselves. Our institutions work in a harmonious fashion: religious, medical, educational, governmental. The media is factual and presents news with the best journalistic ethics. Politicians work for the best outcome for their constituents, honoring civility. Our Supreme Court is a role model for judicial ethics. Everyone observes the “Golden Rule.” We are authentic, doing our best, working towards a better tomorrow for ourselves and our children.
Not death
Anthony Shafton, author and atheist thinker
It isn’t death. The harshest truth is that the world doesn’t realize I’m the most important person. Like yesterday, I was in a hurry when a car blocked me at an intersection. I cursed the stupid driver, then thought better. It’s a lesson I have to keep learning.
The paradox, it seems, is that overvaluing oneself is a defense against self-rejection, and the key to humility is self-acceptance. This quest is never-ending: humility and self-importance, each a bedrock truth forever contradicting the other. Higher power helps; I discovered half a lifetime ago with the 12 steps. But not God. Sufi poet Yunus Emre’s mantra was "He is." Mine is "It is:" "Anaho," also the name of the inaccessible island in the middle of Pyramid Lake. How apt! I try to remember this when I’m blocked at life’s intersections. So harshest truth isn’t death — or maybe that's the same thing?
Embracing truth
Stephen R. Karcher, presiding priest, Saint Anthony Greek Orthodox Church
I would like to think I am a person open to the truth: the truth about myself, about the world, and the truth about God. Undoubtedly, this experience can sometimes be "harsh," but it’s the coming to terms with it that’s harsh, not the truth itself. After all, as it’s written, that “truth will set you free.” In particular, discovering who I am and learning about myself is not always comfortable.
But isn’t it true that being confronted with the reality of anything when it’s different from what we’ve expected is rarely a pleasant surprise? Sometimes we may hide ourselves, but as Naomi Wood commented when writing about The Emperor’s New Clothes, “whatever words we may use to clothe our fears, the fabric cannot protect us from them.” I believe that when we are open to encounter instead of ignoring, however difficult, we can grow; the choice is ours.
Existence of racism
Nancy Lee Cecil, Baha’i teacher
It is jarring for many Baha’is to accept that racism still exists and is the daily life experience of many people of color, both personally and systemically. It is one harsh truth many would prefer to ignore! A critical core understanding of the Baha’i Faith is that humanity is one family, and that God does not make any distinction between people based merely upon race or color.
There can be unity in diversity: in most Baha’i communities, one will find a garden of humanity comprised of diverse races, colors, and ethnicities. Intermarriage is not only accepted but celebrated.
We could revel in our inclusive bubble or become proactive in helping racial understanding evolve in the outside world as well. To this end, many Baha’is have chosen it as a mission to engage in Race Unity Discussions and other anti-racist social activities to address the stark reality of lingering systemic racism.
Next week’s topic: Online vs. in-person religious service: Does each equally serve the intended purpose?
Faith Forum is a weekly dialogue on religion produced by religious statesman Rajan Zed. Send questions or comments to rajanzed@gmail.com or on Twitter at @rajanzed.
