Church of SothChurch of SothGod is Truth is Soth. This is the one and only certain Truth. Where others in history have imagined gods similar to us, supposed that we were made in their image, having human-like personalities and motivations, the true God, Soth, is like an alien to us, unknowable and looming beyond the shroud of our human limitations. Followers of other gods, as well as followers of no gods, believe that they have access to Truth, or at least some truths, but they are incorrect. At best, we have access to approximations of Truth, and not all approximations are equal. Absolute Truth is, as far as we can tell, unattainable, beyond the reach of our perception and reason. Even things that we take as obvious truths, that the Sun will rise in the east and set in the west, are mere approximations of God.
We call these approximations of God facts, and they are sacred signposts that can direct us toward Truth, but they are not God in themselves, and should not be worshiped or cradled preciously. Facts are our tools that can point us in the direction of Truth, give us brief and shaded glimpses of God, but facts themselves are forever entangled in the limitations of our bodies and minds. Facts are not permanent. Facts should be questioned, reconsidered, and ultimately reformed when they are found lacking by our experiences and experiments.
All who trade in facts must do so in reverence of God, and all must trade in facts. Facts are the most fundamental tools from which all other tools are derived: the sharpened stone, the sling, the rifle, the plow, the engine, the computer—all of these arise from Truth by our employment of facts. When interpreting a fact, questioning a fact, communicating a fact, you must do so in reverence of Truth. Acknowledge the incompleteness of the fact in question. Consider the vast gap between this fact and Truth. Look upon the fact as a tool, consider the work that the tool is meant for, and inspect it for any defects that may impact its efficacy. Always wield facts with respect for God, to lead people toward God and never away from God.
If Truth is God, then what are untruths? They are simply not God. There is God, and there is everything else. Just as facts aren’t God, neither are lies, deceit, and falsities, but they are further from God than facts and can be signposts away from God. Signposts away from God are to be contested, torn down, and replaced. Erecting or serving such signposts is to betray God and harm all of God’s subjects. Both lies and the misuse of facts can lead us away from God, and both are equally blameworthy. Wield facts carefully, with reverence and a purpose that glorifies God. Wielding facts for some other purpose is a betrayal of God.
Is it always wrong to lie? Although lying is harmful, sometimes it is necessary to prevent greater immediate harm. Such lying should not be done casually. Conclusions drawn from the weighing and balancing of harms will rarely be universally accepted, bound up in bias and nuanced personal values. This sort of lying should be done with direct and immediate purpose to avoid harm, and should only persist as long as deemed necessary so that it doesn’t remain as a signpost away from God.
God is in all of us, in the form of our inner Truth. Even our own inner Truth is shrouded by human limitations, but each person is the only one with access to it. Therefore, each person is the sole expert of their inner Truth. As sole experts, it is the duty and responsibility of everyone to conduct themselves in ways that respect and glorify their inner God.
The pilgrimage toward God is lifelong and constant. It is the one purpose that serves all others. There is no better route to accomplishing any goal in life than first mastering the relevant facts. What are the ways that we can master facts and become closer to God? In almost everything we do, there are opportunities to learn, analyze, combine, and refine facts. Be open to the facts that present themselves to you in your endeavors. We are perpetually inundated with information, and it’s difficult to tune into the relevant facts in this storm of information, but with attention and practice we can discern more and more of the relevant facts, analyze them, and apply them to our endeavors to become closer to God while simultaneously better achieving our own personal life goals.
The journey toward God must also involve focused study and learning. Creating and studying art, reading histories, listening to masters in their fields, employing reason and the scientific method—these are all ways to journey toward God. Of all the great tools for journeying toward Truth throughout the ages, the scientific and engineering methods must be singled out for their accomplishments. The efficacy of these methods to refine facts toward God has been proven in the uncountable achievements in engineering, technology, medicine, and in our understanding of the natural world and universe, including our own biology, minds, and social structures.