How did we get to a place where lying is normal? I was taught that telling the truth was absolute. Yet, that’s not what I see today.

Lying has become a sad way of life in America. It is modeled from the very top, where political spin (carefully fabricated lies) is expectable fare from both parties. University faculty members and top U.S. intelligence officers offer up their version of events, while many of us scratch our heads in complete frustration. “They must think we are stupid,” we mutter to ourselves.

Truth is not relative. Several times recently, I’ve been in conversations where someone said that there are “versions of the truth.” They suggest that people can witness an event and walk away with different impressions about what happened.

That is undoubtedly true. Ask seven witnesses about a car accident, and you’ll hear seven unique stories based on different viewpoints, focus, attention, and participation. Each will be nuanced by that viewer’s unique perspective.

Still, that’s not what I’m thinking about. No matter what each witness remembers, there is only one thing that really happened. In a car accident, there is likely hard evidence – skid marks, damaged autos, specific injuries – to document what took place. Despite what anyone remembers, we can tell that the car was traveling at a certain pace because it left 75 feet of rubber on the road. Even if the evidence is misleading or confusing, there is still but one true account of the event.

This is very important. Truth isn’t some amalgamation of all seven stories. When people offer different versions, that doesn’t mean the truth lies halfway in the middle. The truth is what happened. Versions of the truth aren’t the truth. No matter how sincere, well intentioned, or credible the witness, the truth is still the truth.

Versions are a lot like opinions. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but not all opinions are created equal. Some are passionate, some are informed, and some are self-serving. Some are reasoned and accurate; others are laughable and ridiculous. We might be amused by Taylor Swift’s opinion about the New York Stock Exchange, but most of us aren’t going to bet our retirement on it. Just because she’s entitled to an opinion doesn’t make it accurate or helpful.

There may be ‘two sides to every story’ but that doesn’t mean both sides are equally right! There are two sides to World War II, and two sides to the Proclamation of Emancipation, and – even – two (dubious) sides to the Christian Crusades. Just because someone claims something doesn’t make it true. Or even close to the truth.

People remember different things. They may offer different versions because someone was distracted, or momentarily absent. Or, in the cases of attorneys and politicians, someone gets paid to spin a particular version of the truth. Maybe there are different versions because one person is lying.

As a society, we’ve been trained to be tolerant. We try to listen to everyone. We focus on being open-minded and acknowledge people’s freedom of expression. We even allow a presumption of innocence when we catch someone red-handed. Versions play a part in all that.

Still, when all is said and done, the truth is the truth.