In other words, a community — or an individual — creates or constructs what is true. Something is true because the community or the individual believes it to be true.

There are times when I peruse the daily news and can relate to the main character in “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” Penned by writer and mathematician Lewis Carroll in 1865, the book’s protagonist, Alice, tumbles down a rabbit hole and finds herself in a fantasy world where the only absolute is nonsense.

An example of the absurd reality Alice encounters is aptly illustrated with Humpty Dumpty: “When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.”

In the wonderland Alice encountered, subjectivity ruled the day. Claims of absolute truth were deemed utter nonsense and the result was a world where chaos and confusion were normal. Carroll never imagined, though, that the absurd fantasy he created would one day become reality.

In order to understand that we have indeed plunged down a post-modern rabbit hole where nonsense reigns supreme, I call your attention to the following recent news stories:

— A variety of news sources have reported that a Vanderbilt University policy prohibiting discrimination is being used against religious groups. At least four campus religious organizations have been placed on provisional status because leaders of their respective groups are required to submit to the group’s religious beliefs. According to Vanderbilt’s policy, an atheist should be allowed to lead a Christian or Jewish group.

— Catholic University of America, located in Washington D.C., is being sued by Muslim students. A university news website reported that the complaint against the university is because the school “does not provide space — as other universities do — for the many daily prayers Muslim students must make, forcing them instead to find temporarily empty classrooms where they are often surrounded by Catholic symbols which are incongruous to their religion.”

— A headline on CNSNews.com read, “Girl Scouts allow 7-year-old boy to join because he is ‘living as a girl.'”Originally denied membership, a young boy has been allowed to become a Brownie by The Girl Scouts of Colorado. “Our requests for support of transgender kids have grown, and Girl Scouts of Colorado is working to best support these children,” the Colorado scouting organization said in a statement. “In this case, an associate delivering our program was not aware of our approach.”

[Editor’s note: This article is incomplete. The source for this document was originally published on bpnews.net—however, the original URL is no longer available.]