Truth in a Contradiction

There is hardly a sane man, I should hope, who considers himself to possess all knowledge. There are, however, only a few more men who concede the likelihood of inherent contradiction within the knowledge they think they do have. That is, people think that all their beliefs are consistent and in agreement with one another. For probably a number of reasons, into which I do not wish to go just now, they fail to acknowledge the incompatible underpinnings of their ideas. This is why the same woman can hug a tree and murder her unborn child.

But a contradiction implies an acceptance of, at least, some truth. For a contradiction is created by affirming each of two opposing ideas or statements as true, while both, in reality, fall under the same category of discussion. For example, given identical contexts, the following statements are contradictory: To live, food is necessary. To live, food is not necessary. Given identical contexts, both statements cannot be true. One is; one isn’t. Thus, when you meet a person who believes and affirms both, you walk away scratching your head and wondering, “That person is goofed up! How do they function in the world? More curiously, how do they approach mealtimes on a daily basis without going crazy?”

Therefore, when you discourse with someone whose contradictions you’ve identified, start with that part of their contradiction which is on the side of truth and, working from there, lead them to the Source of that truth – JEHOVAH, the triune God. “But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” – 2 Timothy 2:23-26 (italics mine).