All truth is relative!
You can’t know the truth!
That’s true for you but not for me!
These are some of the most popular statements that float around our modern society. Talk to any college or university student and you are likely to hear something similar. They seem to make truth out to be like your favorite sweater… that sweater is good for you but not for me. Truth is talked about as if it is something that is different from person to person… completely relative. Can this possibly be accurate? Fortunately, the answer is no.
What is truth? Quite simply truth is what “is”. Truth is not like your favorite ice cream. Truth is absolute. Here are some facts about truth that I recently read in Norman Geisler and Frank Turek’s book I Don’t Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist.
- Truth is discovered, not invented. It exists independent of anyone’s knowledge of it. For example, gravity existed prior to Newton.
- Truth is transcultural. If something is true, it is true for all people, in all places and at all times. 2+2=4 in China, America, Australia, etc.
- Truth is unchanging. Our BELIEFS about what is true will change from time to time but truth itself does not change. When we discovered the earth was round our BELIEFS about the earth changed. However, the earth itself has always been round.
- Beliefs cannot change a fact, no matter how sincerely we believe them. One can SINCERELY believe the world is flat, but they will just be sincerely WRONG.
- Truth is not affected by a person’s attitude. An arrogant person does not make a truthful message they share with you wrong. A humble person does not make a wrong message they share with you right.
- All truths are absolute truths. Even truths that appear to be relative are in fact absolute. For example, I, Darrell, was cold yesterday at 2 PM. Even for a person in China, it is still true that I, Darrell, was cold yesterday at 2 PM.
What all these add up to is one thing… contrary BELIEFS are possible but contrary TRUTHS are not.
So, what about the statements at the beginning of this post. They are the latest thinking in society. Are they TRUE? No!! They are self defeating. We can turn them on themselves and easily see how illogical they are.
All truth is relative. Is that a relative truth?
You can’t know the truth. Do you know that to be true?
That’s true for you but not for me. Is that statement true for you or is it true for everyone?
Think about it!!
Also, if you have a chance, I highly recommend I Don’t Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist. It is a great book!!
Darrell