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Either true or false, faith may constitute knowledge. After all, knowledge is the state of being aware of something, or the possession of information. It is very easy to be aware of something untrue, or to possess information that may prove to be false. The people living in the world prior to 1492 had the information that the world was flat, and they were fully aware of that knowledge. However, their knowledge was false. Therefore, the old saying that "knowledge is power" must be revised. Knowledge is power provided that it is based upon a truth, otherwise it may be a tremendous burden, a serious impediment, a decided hindrance, and a very present handicap to your development and progress. Therefore, in order that you may have a clear conception of truth or the foundation of knowledge, I think it is alto- gether fitting and proper that I should attempt to define truth. Truth, in my humble opinion, is an established law with no exceptions. The previous example (two plus two equals four) clearly illustrates an established law of mathe- matics with no exceptions. How does man discover truth? He discovers truth through experience, and he proves it by experimentation. As I said THE POWER THAT SELLS 65 before, faith is believing in something that may be proved true or something that may be proved false. By applying the process of experimentation man can prove a thing to be true or he can discover that it is false. Two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen had composed water long before man wrote the formula H 2 O. Man did not know this truth. He believed that these two elements compounded in this proper proportion would make water. Working on this hy- pothesis, he began the process of experimentation. The first time he analyzed water he found the two elements together in this proportion. The second, the third, and all the follow- ing experiments proved that the proportion of two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen was present in water every time. Therefore, he was able to write the chemical formula H 2 O. This was an established principle, with no exceptions, and, therefore, a truth. Experimentation had proved it. Faith and belief had turned into knowledge. |
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