"Is there such a thing as Absolute Truth?"
This is just a bad question - for two reasons. One, is that the only answer you can give is "yes". Even if you say, "no there is no absolute truth." You are making a statement in absolutes. So, essentially what you would be saying is that "there is only one truth and that is that there is no truth". The other reason it is a bad question is that if your answer is "no" you cannot possibly live like that. Maybe you can type out a decent sounding argument as to why you believe there is no absolute truth, but as soon as you walk away from your computer you will contradict yourself. Someone will cut you off while driving or interrupt you when you have something important to say, your waitress will be horrible to you at dinner or someone will hurt someone you love... and you will feel something. You will feel it in spite of the fact that you tell yourself you don't think there is any real truth. And what you feel and how you respond will betray what you really believe at the core of who you are. We all have an idea that there is a right and a wrong way to act and to treat other people. We get mad and defensive when we are "wronged" or when we see something we consider an "injustice" and that implies that we all believe, on some level or another, that life has value. Some people obviously believe that only certain lives have value, but they are still subscribing to an idea of truth and when we say that their thinking is distorted we are subscribing to another idea of truth. So many people walk without faltering from debates on the idea of "truth" to debates on human ethics... is this not a contradiction? If there is no truth, there cannot be a right or wrong way to treat people and therefore trying to be "ethical"is a waste of time. It is an illusion.Give me someone who has never felt wronged when something was taken from them or when they were hurt in some way, or give me someone who doesn't feel a sense of gratitude when they are given an unexpected gift; then we can have a real debate about the existence or non existence of truth. I propose, however, that there is no such person. The only person who cares about absolutely nothing is a dead person.
Comments (3)
you are contrasting feeling and truth. you may feel that you have been wronged but that is besides the point of truth. truth is cut and dry. it does not waver in the presence of emotions. people say just do what you feel is right. but that is not doing what is right. doing something that is right is doing it regardless of how you feel.
@supsoo - I'm not so much contrasting truth and feelings as making an observation that our feelings and our responses to life testify to whatever truth we subscribe to (whether we want to admit it or not). How do we even come up with statements about truth? From a scientific standpoint we observe and draw conclusions. If we want to talk about the idea of "truth" we have to observe the world we live in. And, to say truth doesn't exist we have to ignore (and even throw out) a piece of evidence that is common to all mankind across the board... We all have a sense of right and wrong. (We all differ on what that is but it is there just the same.) That is huge! Why do we have words like "decency", "right", "wrong", "ethical" and tons of others if there is no such thing as truth? Those should be foreign concepts for us - words that have no meaning - if life is just a big accident without purpose and without definition and without truth. People say they don't believe in truth and then go home and teach their childern to share and say please and thank you. Why? Because they really do subscribe to a truth about the value of life and decency, etc. And, like what you were talking about, if you believe that
something is "right" with enough conviction you will even put yourself
in a place of being hurt to do what is "right". Our feelings (or maybe I should call them convictions because I'm not just talking about emotions) and responses are inseperably connected to our idea of what truth is. I just want people to be honest about that. You can't truthfully say you believe in nothing and then get mad when you are not treated a certian way, etc.
I personally think all this points us to a greater truth: that we were created with an idea of right and wrong though it has been twisted into all sorts of things.
@Pamcake318 - I think the world bases truth on relativism. How do things relate one to another? I think too, that so much of truth for most people is based on value. What do I value? What is important to me? I was talking with a dear friend, who is a Christian. Her daughter is 20 and in essence living with her boyfriend for the last 2 years. They are currently on vacation in Hawaii with all the family. I asked if her daughter and boyfriend were staying with them and sharing a room. She said, "yes", and that was not an issue for her. She said the commitment level of this young couple is greater than most married people and that is what is most important to her. That is what she values most......commitment, not a marriage certificate. The fact that it is wrong before God for these two kids to be sexually active is not even important to her. Her 'truth' is based on commitment and not on Biblical principles. And she is not alone. So many people base their 'truth' on what is relative to their lives. For me pets are important and I will make the care of them a priority. My truth is that Sally and Tom contribute a great deal of joy and pleasure to my life. For someone else, a pet is an unnecessary expense, a hassle, pointless, etc. Both truths are equally valid and relavant to our lives.
Since most people and sad to say, many Christians, don't know what the Bible says or teaches, they have no understanding of absolute truth. Define it how you will, but absolute truth can only be found in the teachings of the Bible. Jesus is the Truth. He is the definition of truth. Absolute truth is found in none other than Jesus. He said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life...." That is very uncomfortable for people to hear. They want to define truth. But their truth is not truth at all. It is all relative.
I love how your mind works. Keep the Pandora's Box open and keep digging for hidden treasure. I enjoy what you find in there and your sharing it with us in your blog.
Love you tons, YFAMBAK