Is Biblical Truth No Different Than the Yanny vs. Laurel Debate?

by Michael Brown, Christian Post Contributor |
Michael Brown holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from New York University and has served as a professor at a number of seminaries. He is the author of 25 books and hosts the nationally syndicated, daily talk radio show, the Line of Fire.

The Yanny vs. Laurel debate has taken the internet by storm. What did you hear when you heard the robot audio clip?

As I listened, there was no doubt that the word was "Laurel," no matter how many times I listened. It was "Laurel," clear as a bell.

For others, the word was definitely "Yanny." How, they wondered, could anyone hear anything else?

The offshoot of all this is simple (and scary): Two sincere people can hear (or see) two different things at one and the same time, even though they're hearing (or seeing) the very same thing.

But does that mean that all truth is up for grabs? Perish the thought. The Yanny vs. Laurel debate actually underscores this.

"How so?" you might ask?

Well, we're having a conversation about this issue, and everyone understands what we're talking about. In other words, if you followed the Yanny vs. Laurel controversy the last few days, you know what's dividing us.

We listened to the same clip, and some of us heard one thing and others heard another thing. The reason we know this is because when we choose to communicate clearly, we can.

That's how we know there's a national controversy. We've been communicating about it with each other. And our communication has been simple and clear.

That's why no one reading this column thinks I'm talking about the NBA playoffs or the Middle East conflict or alpine skiing or favorite pets. When we want to communicate clearly, we can.

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