Due Diligence
I received a text message (SMS) one day about a missionary who was supposed to be sentenced or punished because of his Christian work. The text message relayed urgency on the matter and presented itself as a cause of concern, and of course asked to be passed on. A quick search on the Internet showed that the message is one that had been circulating for over a year then, and the missionary named already had responses about the untruth of the message.
It somewhat surprises me that some people can so easily be led to believe by something they receive without ever bothering to check if there is any proof of the truth or untruth of what they just heard or read. The funny thing about it is that sometimes it would take only a few minutes, a little effort, or a little thinking to figure out or get proof that something is actually untrue. The problem with people like this is that they do not even bother to exert the little that is necessary before they actually believe. They just naturally, automatically believe whatever it is they receive. They do not bother to exert due diligence.
The term “due diligence” is a term used in various fields. Essentially, it means doing the research to determine or find out everything necessary and possible to know about something. A person or company who does not exert due diligence is guilty of negligence. Now, I’m not going to go through a legal discussion here. My point here is that people who do not at least exert some effort to find out facts about something, or at the very least seek to determine if what they heard or read is true or not, is at the very least negligent. And it would be easy if it ended there. But no, at times it has grave repercussions. There are those whose gullibility lands them in trouble, and although in that case some may say they deserve it, it is still better if we can inform people so that they will not be gullible, to save them. But also, the problem is, sometimes they are not the only ones who fall in trouble because of their gullibility.
I have discussed before in “Liar, Liar” how some people just believe in lies or untruths, from emails and hoaxes, to untrue doctrine improperly passed by others as Christian truth, and some of the problems these cause, so you can refer to that previous article about matters I have already discussed then, and may consider this as its part two. I would like to emphasize something else in this article.
You’ve probably met people who will just believe anything and everything they hear. Maybe some of you can relate to this one. There are some people who will believe whatever one person or a group of persons tell them, and automatically believe that one person or group of persons, and not even bother to check if what those people are saying are true, or try to get the complete picture, even if it would have been so easy to get. Sometimes, what those people tell the other person is something against another person or group of persons. And the receiver would be quick to believe and side with them, rather than confirm for him or herself if what the receiver received is true, either by talking with the person involved, or doing the necessary research, to derive conclusions for him or herself, reserving conclusions until the due diligence has been performed. Unfortunately, many are just negligent. Whether they are lazy, gullible, or biased (or whatever reason), they are so easily led astray, rather than thinking for themselves. And for this example, the victims are apparent.
Then there are those who will believe something just because they read it somewhere, or heard it through media. Some apparently have the idea that if it got published or aired, it must be true. As if there was some organization somewhere determining which is true and which isn’t, and if something isn’t true then it is automatically quashed and never heard of again. Since there isn’t, everybody can say anything and have it published or aired through media, whether it be some scientific or pseudoscientific theory, or whatever maxim somebody might think of. And people will automatically believe the first thing they read, and are all so ready to quote what they read as if they had read it from the Bible. We will hear people say, “Somebody said…” to which I could sarcastically reply, “Well, if somebody said it, then it must be true.” Again, the problem is some people do not bother to cross reference what they read or heard with other media or with other, informed people.
Then there are those who do perform some level of due diligence but are hindered because unfortunately they are blocked by the wrong people and the wrong publications. With that scenario, what I can say is more due diligence. Those who persist in seeking the truth will find it.
When I was privileged to speak at a seminar for a school paper, I emphasized the value of what I called legwork. Some of the writers had fallen to the bad habit of just writing what was in their thoughts or what they believed, without even checking how correct or accurate or appropriate what they were saying was. I wanted them to perform the necessary due diligence about what they were writing about to ensure that they were not propagating half-baked views by uninformed, lazy writers.
Some people believe they know it all. Some people believe they can automatically determine what is right or wrong, or what is true and untrue, just by thinking about it, without even performing any due diligence, when the fact is their bases for their beliefs is incorrect. Thus, they are hindered by their own overconfidence, if not arrogance. I have always said, the ability to admit ignorance is a sign of true intelligence. “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” (Proverbs 26:12) “A wicked man puts up a bold front, but an upright man gives thought to his ways.” (Proverbs 21:29)
Sometimes it only takes a little effort to find the truth. And some people don’t put in that effort. They just believe whatever they want or whatever happens to fall on their laps without ever scrutinizing it, without ever making sure first. Sometimes it only takes a little time. Sometimes it only takes a little thinking. But some people do not bother to give it any. But unfortunately, many times, if not all times, believing in something not true has its repercussions, on other people, and on the deceived.
People live their life, believing in horoscopes, believing in Feng Shui, believing some mystical or oriental belief, believing in good luck charms, ghost stories, traditions, systems, doctrines, philosophies, norms or whathaveyou, without ever bothering to check, “Is this true?” “Is this correct?” “Why should I believe in this?” “What is the basis of this belief?” “Why should I do this?” “Just because somebody said so?” “Just because others believe this?” Know why you believe. Know what to believe.
I believe in the Bible. I know many people say they believe in the Bible too. But how many of these people actually have read the Bible? If only people will read the Bible, they can figure out for themselves what they should believe in and not believe in, and understand why they should believe or not believe in those things. Acts 17:11 acknowledges the Bereans this way: “Now, the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” When you think about it, Paul and the other apostles could just as well have been offended with the Bereans, because their need to verify what the apostles were teaching could as well have suggested that the Bereans did not fully trust the apostles, but instead the apostles were rather happy at this attitude of the Bereans, for they could see that the Bereans were not blind followers, but thinking, informed, diligent searchers of the truth, and the praise given by the author of Acts shows that true speakers of the truth are happy when their listeners or readers are true searchers of the truth and believe not because they only choose to but because they have proven for themselves what is true and will therefore not be easily deceived by some other demagogue or false belief.
And for those that do not believe in the Bible, then perform your own due diligence. It is commonly accepted that we should not judge books by their covers, and yet people judge this book they have never read for themselves. How can you judge a book you have never read? How can you not believe in the Bible, and yet just believe what other people say about that book, and nonetheless say that you think for yourself? Are you too gullible, too lazy, too biased, too arrogant, overconfident or whatnot? Do you think the other things you do are more important than this? Are you ok with that? If you have not read the Bible for yourself, then I do not think you are living life to the fullest. And if you’re efforts have proven that to be true, then start performing your due diligence. Read the Bible. Study the Bible.
I have read about people before who tried to prove that the Bible was not true, and from their due diligence, could only conclude that the Bible is true, and ended up accepting the Bible. If you do not believe in that which I read, prove me wrong. Perform your due diligence on the Bible. Read it. Read about it. Talk with people who study it. If you give it enough time, enough effort, enough thinking, you’ll figure out the truth. Perform your due diligence. Do not be negligent on this most important truth.
It’s not about what you believe in. It’s about knowing the truth.
- A. L. E. -
(Originally written: 2007, January 6, 11:18 pm)
It somewhat surprises me that some people can so easily be led to believe by something they receive without ever bothering to check if there is any proof of the truth or untruth of what they just heard or read. The funny thing about it is that sometimes it would take only a few minutes, a little effort, or a little thinking to figure out or get proof that something is actually untrue. The problem with people like this is that they do not even bother to exert the little that is necessary before they actually believe. They just naturally, automatically believe whatever it is they receive. They do not bother to exert due diligence.
The term “due diligence” is a term used in various fields. Essentially, it means doing the research to determine or find out everything necessary and possible to know about something. A person or company who does not exert due diligence is guilty of negligence. Now, I’m not going to go through a legal discussion here. My point here is that people who do not at least exert some effort to find out facts about something, or at the very least seek to determine if what they heard or read is true or not, is at the very least negligent. And it would be easy if it ended there. But no, at times it has grave repercussions. There are those whose gullibility lands them in trouble, and although in that case some may say they deserve it, it is still better if we can inform people so that they will not be gullible, to save them. But also, the problem is, sometimes they are not the only ones who fall in trouble because of their gullibility.
I have discussed before in “Liar, Liar” how some people just believe in lies or untruths, from emails and hoaxes, to untrue doctrine improperly passed by others as Christian truth, and some of the problems these cause, so you can refer to that previous article about matters I have already discussed then, and may consider this as its part two. I would like to emphasize something else in this article.
You’ve probably met people who will just believe anything and everything they hear. Maybe some of you can relate to this one. There are some people who will believe whatever one person or a group of persons tell them, and automatically believe that one person or group of persons, and not even bother to check if what those people are saying are true, or try to get the complete picture, even if it would have been so easy to get. Sometimes, what those people tell the other person is something against another person or group of persons. And the receiver would be quick to believe and side with them, rather than confirm for him or herself if what the receiver received is true, either by talking with the person involved, or doing the necessary research, to derive conclusions for him or herself, reserving conclusions until the due diligence has been performed. Unfortunately, many are just negligent. Whether they are lazy, gullible, or biased (or whatever reason), they are so easily led astray, rather than thinking for themselves. And for this example, the victims are apparent.
Then there are those who will believe something just because they read it somewhere, or heard it through media. Some apparently have the idea that if it got published or aired, it must be true. As if there was some organization somewhere determining which is true and which isn’t, and if something isn’t true then it is automatically quashed and never heard of again. Since there isn’t, everybody can say anything and have it published or aired through media, whether it be some scientific or pseudoscientific theory, or whatever maxim somebody might think of. And people will automatically believe the first thing they read, and are all so ready to quote what they read as if they had read it from the Bible. We will hear people say, “Somebody said…” to which I could sarcastically reply, “Well, if somebody said it, then it must be true.” Again, the problem is some people do not bother to cross reference what they read or heard with other media or with other, informed people.
Then there are those who do perform some level of due diligence but are hindered because unfortunately they are blocked by the wrong people and the wrong publications. With that scenario, what I can say is more due diligence. Those who persist in seeking the truth will find it.
When I was privileged to speak at a seminar for a school paper, I emphasized the value of what I called legwork. Some of the writers had fallen to the bad habit of just writing what was in their thoughts or what they believed, without even checking how correct or accurate or appropriate what they were saying was. I wanted them to perform the necessary due diligence about what they were writing about to ensure that they were not propagating half-baked views by uninformed, lazy writers.
Some people believe they know it all. Some people believe they can automatically determine what is right or wrong, or what is true and untrue, just by thinking about it, without even performing any due diligence, when the fact is their bases for their beliefs is incorrect. Thus, they are hindered by their own overconfidence, if not arrogance. I have always said, the ability to admit ignorance is a sign of true intelligence. “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” (Proverbs 26:12) “A wicked man puts up a bold front, but an upright man gives thought to his ways.” (Proverbs 21:29)
Sometimes it only takes a little effort to find the truth. And some people don’t put in that effort. They just believe whatever they want or whatever happens to fall on their laps without ever scrutinizing it, without ever making sure first. Sometimes it only takes a little time. Sometimes it only takes a little thinking. But some people do not bother to give it any. But unfortunately, many times, if not all times, believing in something not true has its repercussions, on other people, and on the deceived.
People live their life, believing in horoscopes, believing in Feng Shui, believing some mystical or oriental belief, believing in good luck charms, ghost stories, traditions, systems, doctrines, philosophies, norms or whathaveyou, without ever bothering to check, “Is this true?” “Is this correct?” “Why should I believe in this?” “What is the basis of this belief?” “Why should I do this?” “Just because somebody said so?” “Just because others believe this?” Know why you believe. Know what to believe.
I believe in the Bible. I know many people say they believe in the Bible too. But how many of these people actually have read the Bible? If only people will read the Bible, they can figure out for themselves what they should believe in and not believe in, and understand why they should believe or not believe in those things. Acts 17:11 acknowledges the Bereans this way: “Now, the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” When you think about it, Paul and the other apostles could just as well have been offended with the Bereans, because their need to verify what the apostles were teaching could as well have suggested that the Bereans did not fully trust the apostles, but instead the apostles were rather happy at this attitude of the Bereans, for they could see that the Bereans were not blind followers, but thinking, informed, diligent searchers of the truth, and the praise given by the author of Acts shows that true speakers of the truth are happy when their listeners or readers are true searchers of the truth and believe not because they only choose to but because they have proven for themselves what is true and will therefore not be easily deceived by some other demagogue or false belief.
And for those that do not believe in the Bible, then perform your own due diligence. It is commonly accepted that we should not judge books by their covers, and yet people judge this book they have never read for themselves. How can you judge a book you have never read? How can you not believe in the Bible, and yet just believe what other people say about that book, and nonetheless say that you think for yourself? Are you too gullible, too lazy, too biased, too arrogant, overconfident or whatnot? Do you think the other things you do are more important than this? Are you ok with that? If you have not read the Bible for yourself, then I do not think you are living life to the fullest. And if you’re efforts have proven that to be true, then start performing your due diligence. Read the Bible. Study the Bible.
I have read about people before who tried to prove that the Bible was not true, and from their due diligence, could only conclude that the Bible is true, and ended up accepting the Bible. If you do not believe in that which I read, prove me wrong. Perform your due diligence on the Bible. Read it. Read about it. Talk with people who study it. If you give it enough time, enough effort, enough thinking, you’ll figure out the truth. Perform your due diligence. Do not be negligent on this most important truth.
It’s not about what you believe in. It’s about knowing the truth.
- A. L. E. -
(Originally written: 2007, January 6, 11:18 pm)
