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Truth To Power

Truth To Power

We seem to pride ourselves of believing we are speaking to "power" when we practice politics as if it is the solution to our problems. But what if there is Someone Who is, right now, speaking Truth?

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Fr. Barnabas Powell
Sep 04, 2024
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It’s been a mantra of those who speak out in societies facing the consequences of oppressed people. It first appeared in the pamphlet “Speak Truth to Power: A Quaker Search for an Alternative to Violence” in 1955. But it’s actually an ancient Greek concept known as “παρρησια,” which literally means “to speak freely.” The idea has been used to nonviolently speak to those who hold authority in such a way that exposes the mistreatment of others.

But what do you do when a society devolves into segments of society stating that “words ARE violence?” You’re accused of “harming” the person if you say the wrong word.

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