Letter: ‘Post-truth’ era needs prayer
The Oxford English Dictionary annually selects a word of the year. For 2016, it selected “post-truth.”
The dictionary defines this word as “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” That also explains the expression “alternative facts” (an oxymoron if there ever was one.)
Increasingly, the Trump administration and his spokespersons are living in a world of post-truth and alternative facts. It would serve no purpose to list the most egregious of these post-truths as most of the president’s supporters live there as well. Suffice it to say that “walking back” a lie and repeating it over and again does not make it factual or truthful. There is apparently no evidence that President Obama wiretapped President Trump’s tower or authorized surveillance through his microwave or any other apparatus.
As a Christian and an American, I pray earnestly that our president and his administration will have wisdom, compassion, and courage as they lead this already great nation. While I fear there is little evidence to indicate that it is happening, I hope everyone will join me in praying for his success in doing what is right for all of us.
Ken Reinhardt
Bluffton
This story was originally published April 3, 2017 at 4:42 PM with the headline "Letter: ‘Post-truth’ era needs prayer."