By Chris Surber

Facts are stubborn things. No matter how much we ignore them, dislike them, or try to redefine them, the fact is the facts remain. This is a fact that my unwelcome friend Dr. Know Nothing surely disagrees with.

He is world renowned for his ability to ignore the facts. Surely you have read his recent books “Reason: 5 Reasons We Don’t Need It” and “Economics: How to Spend Money You Don’t Have and Get Out of Debt.”

Dr. Know Nothing is popular with his student Mass Populace, mostly because he appeals to its vanity. He teaches us that it is possible to improve our lives without acquiring knowledge. His message is simple; the facts are meaningless, only money, delight and pleasure matter.

Dr. Know Nothing’s greatest adversary is my friend Laughing Giant Truth. Now, Giant Truth’s mother, Mrs. Eternal Knowledge, did not name him “Laughing,” that is a nickname he has picked up in recent years from those of us in the commonsense club, because ever since he met Dr. Know Nothing and his student Mass Populace, he can’t stop laughing.

Giant Truth knows that facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. He knows that facts, though they may be cumbersome to old Dr. Know Nothing and all of the people he has infected with incredulous version of knowledge, are the building blocks of truth.

Our society today is the victim of Dr. Know Nothing, and he has taught us that pleasure today is more important than time spent learning from the mistakes of yesterday. We have fallen victim to his false teaching, that the acquisition of knowledge is a task that should be reserved for a few geeks at the library.

That great thinker of the Middle Ages, Thomas Aquinas, once wrote, “A scrap of knowledge about sublime things is worth more than any amount about trivialities.”

Oh that we would cast off the tyranny of Dr. Know Nothing with his no-teaching teaching! Hear the ancients words of God’s book; the wise words of God. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6a ESV) “How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.” (Proverbs 16:16 ESV)

When Lady Knowledge comes, she comes with keys to free us from the shackles of poverty of spirit, poverty of soul and tyranny of ignorance. She frees us to a life of curiosity, progress and wonder.