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One of the sad behavioural phenomena of recent years has been the increase of vitriol, including even death threats, directed at public figures by people who disagree with what they have say. This used to happen mostly for elected politicians, but it now affects schoolchildren like Greta Thunberg for raising environmental concerns, medical experts such Anthony Fauci for advising the wearing of masks; and at the weekend the philanthropist Bill Gates revealed that he was being demonised for encouraging preventative vaccination. I've been trying to identify the reasons behind the vindictive nature of the invective directed at these people. I think that one possibility is a fear of the power wielded by unaccountable individuals. I certainly share this apprehension. For there are a number of prominent unelected people, mostly men, whose wealth exceeds the GDP of small nations and whose tentacles of influence regarding information on social media or the spread of industrial power stretch around the globe. But Thunberg, Fauci and Gates are not in this category. Another possible reason is the prevalence of Fake News – something both condemned and exhibited by certain populist politicians. Fake news can encourage people to doubt the truth about which non-political figures are passionate. But it might all come down to the fact that truth is not always popular or comfortable, especially if it challenges long-held assumptions or comes with a cost. If the Christian faith has any light to shed on this, it would be a perception which is not specific to that tradition, namely that the hallmark of what is true should be that it is liberating rather than constricting; it should shed light rather than conserve ignorance. The maxim Jesus articulates is, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free”. At one time it was claimed that the brains of black people were smaller than those of whites, that punishment was a possible remedy for dyslexia and autism in children, that rape was an offence encouraged by women, that people who spoke minority languages were uncultured. Challenging these prejudices with the truth was never a popular activity. But acknowledging the truth is liberating both to the oppressed and to their oppressors.