The difference between opinion and fact

Free will places the burden upon the individual when we make choices.  We always have a choice.  Always.  The problem is that there are many times when we don't like the choices we are confronted with or struggle to make a proper determination to help us with those choices.  

I've found in my own experience that being honest with how I feel, a topic I've covered many times, has helped me with that decision making process as it is easier to 'see' and 'hear' when one is not clouded by emotions like anger, envy, rage, jealousy and other emotional reactions we tend to experience. By connecting to my feelings I allow spirit to engage and help me with the process.    

Whether one is a citizen of a country state or self-governing spiritual being, being able to differentiate between what is an opinion and fact is an important skills to acquire to help us with making choices in our lives.  Before we can discuss the differences we need to be clear on what these two words mean.

Fact:  A thing done.  An Action, deed.  Something that has really occurred or is the case. - Oxford Unabridged Dictionary 1958

Opinion: Judgement resting on grounds insufficient for complete demonstration; belief of something as probable or as seeming to one's own mind to be true. - Oxford Unabridged Dictionary 1958

Permit me to use an example to help clarify the point.  Let's assume somebody is filling in an affidavit against a government agency and stated:

Agency ABC did not send me a notice.

Opinion or fact?  Well, what if Agency ABC did send the notice but it got lost in the mail or was stolen, misdirected or even misdelivered?  How can somebody testify to whether or not somebody else did or failed to do something if they did not witness it?  They cannot.  Please remember, an affidavit is an outline of what we are a witness to, which then establishes facts as to what deeds were done.  This particular individual did not witness whether or not Agency ABC did or did not send the notice.  So this one statement ends up being true in their own mind, but not a fact.  It is an opinion only.  So how can the individual have written this as a fact instead?

I am not in possession of a notice from Agency ABC.

Now the individual stated a fact as he / she can actually testify as a witness to this deed.  In a feudal court, they are interested in facts, not opinions.  The problem is that people get so emotionally tied up, they cannot think straight and end up spewing opinions all over the place.  This even happens outside of court when it comes to our own relationships, marriages, friendships and I've seen it spewed all over the internet as well!  

 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.  - Acts 22:15

Notice it did not say think, assume or presume but rather what we see and hear!  A proper witness must stand on these foundations or risk becoming a false witness.  If the individual in my example used the first version of his affidavit, he would end up being a false witness because he was passing opinions as facts.  This can cause great harm to the individual who is having to defend themselves against such violence.  However, he can testify to the second version as he could see with his own eyes that he did not receive the notice.  Because he has not seen the events that transpired before that point, he cannot testify to any of it.  

"... but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." ... "Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, honour thy father and [thy] mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."  - Mat 19:17-19 

In most jurisdictions there is a principle where the burden of proof rests on the individual making the claim.  That individual must prove the claim and the only way that can be done is with facts, not opinions.  The one with the most facts win.  If one makes a claim of opinions, they have harmed the individual they are making a claim against.  I see lots of claims being made and lots of opinions, but very little facts!  

Now to throw a wrinkle into the mix here.  How dependable are people when it comes to being a good witness?  It is astounding how 10 people who witness the same event can have such variety in their recollection and testimony of that same event.  It is this phenomenon that police use to determine if a group of people are lying.  If their stores are all the same, they know it was cooked up!  If you want to read more about the issue, this article is a good start.  In that article  Elizabeth Loftus, a psychologist at the University of California is quoted as saying: 

... experiments have shown that a  person's confidence in their own memory is sometimes undiminished even  in the face of evidence that their memory of an event is false. 

Resistance to question ourselves in the face of false evidence is dangerous, but professional witnesses like social workers, police officers, bureaucrats and other agents of the state struggle with the same problem because in the end we have a human component!  The checks and balances for them is in regards to getting warrants and having affidavits attached to those warrants to justify to use of force and have courts review EVERYTHING.  Their hands are bound by additional burden and for good reason.  They have a monopoly on force.  They are not allowed to bear false witness either, although they often do.  But now that we know what false witness looks like, it makes it easier to see their lies as opinions don't count.

The right to make full answer and defence guaranteed by this paragraph [s. 11 Canadian Charter of Rights and freedoms - Proceedings in criminal and penal matters] and s. 7 includes the right of the accused to have before him the full case to meet before answering the Crown's case by adducing defence evidence. In addition, the accused has the right to defend himself against all of the state's efforts to achieve a conviction. The Crown is not entitled to engage in activities aimed at convicting an accused unless that accused is permitted to defend against those state acts.: R. v. Rose, [1998] 3 S.C.R. 262, 129 C.C.C. (3d) 449, 20 C.R. (5th) 246. 

Have you EVER heard or seen the Crown engage in such activities, especially when it comes to Child Protective Services and children?  These actions are frequently taken as a result of false witness and I would suggest to you that we have an epidemic in this world of people who chose opinions over facts and are more than willing to swear oaths to that effect.  Wars are declared and fought based on opinions.  People starve or are shot in the street as a result of opinion.  But if you have seen or heard of behaviour such as this, do you not have a duty to stand as a witness to those facts?

Is it also possible that there is a reason why we are not supposed to be swearing oaths?  

But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. - Mat 5:34-37 

Signing an affidavit is an oath, so to is any other time we put pen to paper to sign a signature (attestation).  People swear an oath of fealty to the state all the time.  Is it any wonder that the evil fictional construct we call the state demands an oath from it's witnesses, serfs and slaves?   

There is a good reason why we are supposed to be consciously aware of all these matters.  Because our human side has major issues, the emotions that are generated by events that unfold around us can cause significant problems.  We are supposed to stand as proper witnesses for one another and that requires that we set aside those emotions and testify to what we see and hear.  Let our yes be yes and no be no.  No judgement.  No opinions.  Just Facts.  

Is it any wonder that judges, doctors and other professionals only give opinions?  Things that make you go 'hmmmmm'.  

We have a duty to stand and be a witness!  It is not easy but our silence means we consent to the violence unfolding around us.  Time to stand up!