submitted by Hailee Barnes

Does something have to be fact to be true? Can something be true in my life and faith without
being fact?

These questions were raised in my campus group this Sunday as we are following a series titled “Living the Questions.” Last night’s discussion was based on the topic of “Thinking Theologically.”

We were asked the questions: What is the character of your God? How does your church worship God in a way that fits with God’s character? And a few other questions that I cannot remember. There was a good discussion, but there were so many questions and thoughts presented that it was hard to leave and turn off those wheels long enough to get some homework done.

I feel a little too overwhelmed by the questions right now to discuss them so I am going to leave it at that and see if maybe these questions lead you anywhere or spark more questions.

Hailee is a student at the University of Montana in Missoula, MT. She is the incoming co-moderator of NNPCW's Coordinating Committee.

Hi Hailee,

I think you have just created, philosophically speaking, a tautology question. That is, a question that contains the same definition in both words. Because isn't a fact something that is true and isn't something that is true a fact? Or according to Merriam Webster dictionary a pleonasm.

"1 a : iteration or repetition in speaking or in writing : the use of more words than those necessary to denote mere sense (as the man he said, saw with his own eyes, true fact; especially : the coincident use of a word and its substitute for the same grammatical function : REDUNDANCY, TAUTOLOGY

But this is a lot of fun to think about. We use to throw those kinds of questions around in philosophy class a lot. Thanks asking and letting us all think.