"Setting a Heading for the 'Truth'"

Note:  Somehow I deleted the original post.  What follows is an attempt to rewrite the post.  If you should have a copy of the original post, please forward to arobbfam@yahoo.com.  Thank you.

Maybe you saw the YouTube video of a military aircraft, a C-17 landing at the wrong airport.  If not  you may view it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkuqsd_tRHw.

Did the aircrew fly a perfect downwind, base, and final?  Yes they did.
Did the aircrew turnout on the correct final heading?  Yes they did.
Did the aircrew execute a flawless landing?  Yes they did.
Did the aircrew execute a flawless roll out, tactical as it was?  Yes they did.

The problem was that both airports were on the same heading and although they did everything right, they ended up landing at the wrong airport!  Why?  Because the aircrew did not validate the decision of the pilot, assuming that he had made a correct decision.  Thus, they ended up in the wrong place on the wrong runway.

So it is with many of the decisions of our lives and as well those things which we have come to believe.  Some beliefs have consistency, integrity, even believability and yet because the underlying assumption is faulty the outcome is faulty as well.  That which appears to be true in reality is anything but so.

If you view the landing you will see that the aircrew and the airplane survived.  Not so when one lands on the wrong runways in one's life and in doing so misses the truth or reality as some choose to term it.  The consequences will be dire.

Simply said, what may sound so very good at first hearing and accepted on that level may not alert the believer in that "truth" to the difficulties in that particular belief system.  However, when one devotes effort to a deeper examination of the "truth" and one looks into the presuppositions and assumptions that underpin it then the belief breaks down.

Fortunately with the skill of the pilot, the C-17 was stopped before the end of the runway.  At some point the aircrew seeing how short the runway was, realized they had a problem.  So too with beliefs.  If one is to push them out to their logical conclusions, their failed veracity will be seen.  However, many become so caught up in the initial relationship with truth that they fail to see the eventual outcomes.

What are some of the outcomes of belief systems build on faulty assumptions?  First there is the question of validity.  Just know that a valid belief cannot be deduced based upon a faulty assumption.  In addition there can be other outcomes such as incorrect biases, chaotic relationships, deception, denial of conflicting truths (these may in fact be reality), imposition, intolerance, crisis of truth, and much, much more.

As to outcome for the C-17, you may view the take off at the following site.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=805M1svwp_8.  It is interesting as you view the various videos available at YouTube the reactions of the people.  Indeed their view of the landing and take off and their reactions were once again based upon their assumptions about the airplane's capability.

We must exercise great caution in the matter of what we accept as truth and/or reality.  Such should begin with a careful examination of such presuppositions and assumptions that underpin our beliefs.