The Final Burst of `Harsh Light'

A final letter to my readers: When we have become accustomed to darkness, the sudden intrusion of light is often the beginning of an agonizing transition. New light forces us to squint through tear-stained eyes and to gasp breathlessly at the shock of sudden brightness - until we are again able to orient ourselves to our world. In the end, of course, the light is a comforting guide and companion (and also quite necessary if we want to get anywhere). But at that moment when we first open our eyes and suddenly see that we have all along been stumbling in the dark - at that desperate moment, the humbling realization that we have indeed been blind is almost too much to bear. Often we are tempted to again close our eyes - to return to the sleepy comfort of darkness, and to deny that we have ever been without perfect vision. Such has been my brief experience with life. On many occasions, my eyes have been opened to painful truths - about the failures of my beloved nation, about the convenient distortions rampant in my intellect and about the willful condition of my own heart. Sometimes I have been able to keep my eyes open. But as often as not, I have found the glare of new light too harsh to endure - and have crawled back desperately to the darkness. My struggles with the "Harsh Light" of truth inspired this column. For more than three years at Chapel Hill, I have quietly noticed that the hearts and minds of most students - and most Americans - are submerged in cynical propaganda and rhetoric, to the exclusion of serious thought about serious issues. I have watched as the dehumanizing sexual ethics at UNC are dictated by the senseless propaganda of Cosmopolitan and MTV, as the political ideas of our generation are molded by empty mantra and rhetoric and as the search for God among students is crushed by a fashionable but irrational cynicism. To be sure, I too have been affected by all this propaganda. And so with "Harsh Light" I hoped to challenge myself - and my readers - to look hard at the facts behind the political, cultural and religious issues of great import to our modern world. Cursory opinions would not suffice - I wanted us to find out why we believe as we do. Dante once noted: "The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crisis maintained their neutrality." I agree with Dante - neutrality and impartiality are overrated. An honest search for truth does not lead to impartiality but to passion; not to neutrality, but to conviction. There is nothing noble about hiding on the sidelines while a holy war wages. And thus I have never pretended to be impartial. My own search for truth has led me to very specific beliefs based on facts that I've found I cannot deny. And I have been as shameless as I've dared in sharing those beliefs. As many of you have amusedly observed, I am indeed a committed political conservative. But my hope is that my message has never been merely one of reflexive partisan ideology. As we've conversed about abortion, Christianity, hate crimes and racism, my highest goal has been to challenge you to determine your own convictions - using the pure criteria of truth and falsehood. As men and women, we are guided by our beliefs. And if we are to live honest and worthy lives, we must embrace beliefs not because of their pleasantness or their ability to make us happy, not on account of their current popularity and not because of their status as "progressive" or "the way of the future." The worthy and honest man (or woman) must embrace his beliefs for one reason only - because he earnestly thinks them true. Thus I have advocated against abortion - because my conscience screams to me the moral truth that all innocent human life is sacred and because our scientific knowledge quietly insists that an unborn child is undeniably an innocent human life. Thus I have defended Christianity - because having truly reckoned with the historical evidence for Christ, I am unable to discount the life, death and resurrection of the man who claimed to be God. Thus I have tried constantly to speak to you of those things that I believe truest of all. I have the deepest respect for those who have sincerely disputed with me over the nature of truth. But sadly, some have judged my ideas without even considering whether they are true or factual - instead rejecting them because they are labeled "old-fashioned" or "not progressive," or because they would "put back the clock." There is likely little I can say to reach those who make such rhetorical and peripheral criticisms. But in one final effort, I'd like to leave you (as I met you) with a quote from the inestimable C.S. Lewis: "As to not being able to put back the clock. Would you think I was joking if I said that you can put a clock back, and that if the clock is wrong it is often a very sensible thing to do? But I would rather get away from the whole idea of clocks. We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man. It is pretty plain that humanity has been making some big mistake. We are on the wrong road. And if that is so, we must go back. Going back is the fastest way on." Craig Warner says "thank you." Write him at cmwarner@email.unc.edu.