August 5, 2018 “Caring About Truth: Part II” Rev. Karl Brown

San Marcos Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

In 2007 I gave a sermon for SMUUF, “Caring About Truth,” that countered the notion that people in power had the right to decide what the facts are, such as the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq We are now dealing with a President, Political Party, and fanbase that seem to care little about whether a statement is true or false and more about whether it is effective. Spinoza believed that most people cannot help but love truth. What does it mean, concretely and as a practical matter, to care about truth itself as distinct from merely the acquisition and exploitation of specific truths? How shall we deal with the sheer frequency of lying that is breaking news everyday? Rev. Karl Brown is a retired ordained United Methodist Minister. Most of his career was spent in ecumenical campus ministry, especially at Texas State University. Among the highlights of his career are: teaching university courses in religion; developing programs for faculty and students; working in missions to Mexico, Russia, and Vietnam; serving three terms on San Marcos City Council; speaking or teaching in a variety of settings such as at UT Austin, Protestant and Unitarian Churches, St. Mark's School of Wisdom, student retreats, clergy seminars, and Social Work classes. Formal education: B.S. in Chemistry (UT Austin); M.Th. (Perkins School of Theology - SMU); post-graduate studies at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. His family includes his wife, Dr. Karen Brown, four children, three in-laws, and four granddaughters.