Truth and the Devil

If anyone is wondering about the name of this website, I’ve updated the ‘about’ page of the site with a full description:

The name Truth and the Devil is inspired by the story of temptation by the serpent and the pursuit of knowledge in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were told by God not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil for they would surely die. The serpent told them that their eyes would be opened. The serpent was right.

Within this myth we can see a metaphor for the lack of clear distinction between right and wrong in the world. It is also interesting that this is the first time in the Bible where any human shows the beginnings of independent thought. As such, they are cast out of paradise and cursed with the burden of sin for all time.

It is interesting how a story that is the foundation for much of religious theology can be seen as an inspiration for those without an inkling of religious propensity. Doing something because someone in a position of authority told you to, especially because of fear, is the opposite of freedom. Unfortunately, most religions in the world promote this perspective as a virtue. Believing what you’re told on the flimsiest of evidence, or none at all is considered the highest calling among the devout.

Faith is not a virtue. It is a rejection of those mental faculties of doubt and learning that are the very things that have allowed humans to evolve beyond our primitive superstitions and embrace the unknown. Doubt rejects dogma, rejects authority.

Doubt is freedom.