Feb 10, 2021
Safeguarding Truth
By Father Pat O'Shea - Lower Hutt
While in its traditional form people in court swear to “tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God”, in criminal courts the action hinges around reasonable doubt. Legal Dictionary.net illustrates this using the O J Simpson case. It says “when Simpson’s rock star team of attorneys took over to present his defence, their only goal was to create even a small doubt in the minds of the jurors that Simpson had killed his ex-wife and Goldman. On May 15, 1995, O.J. Simpson, standing in front of the jury box, tried on the bloody leather glove that had been presented as a key piece of evidence by the prosecution, showing his hand could not fit into the glove. This gave rise to attorney Johnny Cochran’s now-famous declaration, “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.” All the other evidence that was presented (the whole truth) did not seem to matter once this seed of doubt was planted in the minds of the jury. Reasonable doubt existed, and Simpson was acquitted.
In the court of public opinion, where decisions of about big issues such as climate change are made, creating doubt is now a central tactic. This is well documented in a book by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway entitled Merchants of Doubt. Faced with a mountain of scientific evidence, climate sceptics have focused on “questioning the data, doubting the evidence and attacking the scientists who collect and explain it” (introduction page 2)
In some cases, doubt is deliberately planted to protect vested interests so one can see how industries linked to fossil fuels for example would benefit when doubt about the human contribution to climate change is created. Why some church people are climate sceptics is harder to understand because it is not clear what they are protecting. It certainly is not the planet as creating doubt serves to make it more difficult and more unlikely that the kind of action that is needed will happen.
I have noticed recently in several different places a call for truth to be protected. I am reading James Comey’s book Saving Justice which has as its subtitle Truth, Transparency and Trust. He comes back time and again to the idea that justice cannot be served if truth is not respected. Another example in Tui Motu (December 2020) by Jack Derwin is entitled “Truth Really Matters”. As a journalist he asks for blatant lies to be called out. He adds “it is essential that we have a healthy scepticism, robust discussion and a variety of perspectives”. Alternative facts, misinformation, conspiracy theories and outright lies circulate rapidly on social media and they make it increasingly difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. Misinformation can spread like a virus and can have a devastating effect on society.
In 2019 Social Justice Week in New Zealand focused on the See/Judge/Act method promoted by the YCW movement. If we want to get at the truth of what is really going on in any situation and who benefits and loses from it, we need to be systematic in our analysis of all the factors at play. Otherwise the loudest voice is the one that will be heeded. The failure to safeguard truth will be very bad news for the planet and for humanity itself.
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