BEWARE OF OPINIONS

“Hey Reenie! I just found a great verse. “A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own opinion.” (Prov. 18:2)

Later, as we were driving I switched on some talk radio. Remembering the verse, Reenie asked, “Are we going to spend this whole trip listening to a bunch of fools?” She was right and I switched to my favorite elevator music.

This exchange came to mind as I was reading political opinions on Real Clear Politics. In the Post Modern world, opinions have replaced truth as the source of our value system. “Everyone is entitled to his opinion” is the mantra of pundits, talk shows, politicians, and citizen. We all are entitled to our opinion, but to equate opinion with truth is to step into darkness. As Leo Tolstoy said, “Some people live and act according to their own thoughts, and some according to the thoughts of other people. There are no guides more false than the opinions of other people, because people do not have a constant opinion about what is good.”

Webster defines opinion as, “A belief not based on absolute certainty or positive knowledge but on what seems true, valid or probable to one’s own mind.” That is a dangerous place to pitch camp – in the absolute certainty of what seems true in our own mind! It can take us into a dark hole.

Tolstoy warned, “The opinions of a great writer that are accepted by the majority of people can have a deep influence and may be an obstacle to the understanding of real truth. Divine truth may be revealed in the chatter of children, or in the ravings of madmen, or in the conversations of simple people. Conversely, degenerate thoughts can be found in books which are considered great, or even sacred.” Isn’t that so true? There is a lot more wisdom found in two old farmers talking on a porch than is found in most university classrooms. And Jesus said we couldn’t even enter the kingdom of God without becoming child-like. Children are not worried about opinion polls. Many of the great prophets of history were considered madmen – Jeremiah, Isaiah, Kierkegaard, Blake, etc.

Isn’t it telling that opinion polls are used to sway opinions!!? Good grief. I think this is what is called the dictatorship of the majority.

Os Guinness says opinions are diluting the preaching of truth. “The New Yorker Magazine laments about what is lost in the brave, new ‘audience-driven’ preaching of our day: ‘The preacher, instead of looking out upon the world, looks out upon public opinion, trying to find out what the public would like to hear. Then he tries his best to duplicate that, and bring his finished product into a marketplace in which the others are trying to do the same. The public, turning to our culture to find out about the world, discovers there is nothing but its own reflection. The unexamined world, meanwhile, drifts blindly into the future.’”

George MacDonald says listening to opinions can dilute our ability to love. “Let a man do right, not trouble himself about worthless opinion, the less he heeds tongues, the less difficult will he find it to love men.”

Shakespeare warns that leaders can substitute opinions for truth. “He is a man of an unbounded stomach, ever ranking himself with princes; His own opinion is his law; in thy presence he would say untruths, and be ever double both in his words and meaning.” [“Henry VIII”]

So as this political season progresses, do yourself a favor. Ignore foolish opinions and seek understanding. A good place to start getting truth is the Bible – Provers, Psalms, John… or where ever you want to read. “Thy Word is truth.” (Jn. 17:17)