If you have not already read the previous story entitled "Always be prepared...", I encourage you to do so before reading this one. It will make more sense then.
One of the most profound and long-running misunderstandings about the universe is the reality of truth and its absolute nature. It has always been an area of confusion because of the subjectivity and finiteness of the human mind. People simply cannot grasp the core foundations of the reality around them, and therefore, allow themselves to believe that which makes sense to their mind, whether it is truth or not. For the Christian, however, truth is not an area of confusion, or is at least more understandable based on the Christian understanding of reality. This is because the foundation of the Christian religion is Truth in the most absolute nature it can be found (John 14:6). Despite this, there are yet objections made against the Christian claim of absolute truth. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss and refute three of these objections, which are: 1) Truth is always changing; 2) Religious pluralism is acceptable; and 3) Christians themselves are obligated to say truth is relative. The paper naturally presupposes that God exists and the Bible is authoritative.
The first argument against the Christian claim for absolute truth is that truth is always changing. This is based on an argument that might go like this: The world is always changing, and so truth is always changing; therefore, Christianity cannot claim absolute truth, because truth is always changing. Logically, this argument is quite valid. It follows the rules and form of a modus ponens syllogism (Mckay 25). At the same time, the more important aspect of a syllogism, soundness, is severely lacking. The fallacy is evident in the second premise of the argument regarding truth being ever changing. By definition of truth, which is “the state or quality of being in agreement with fact,” or that which “accurately expresses reality,” truth cannot change (“Truth” 1059; Geisler 742). Why is this? Because reality does not change. Those who argue that the world is changing are correct to a certain extent. There is micro evolution taking place. The seasons change. Ideas are modified. Patterns of thought vary. Cultures transform. As much as these areas of life change, however, they are not the foundation of reality, or reality itself. The being of reality is an unchanging absolute, which is God Himself.
Scripture is very clear that God does not change. He has existed in eternity both forward and backward (e.g. implied in Genesis 1). He was never created and can never be destroyed. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” God is the unchanging and unmoving being of reality. He simply calls Himself “I AM” (Exodus 3:14). The fact that God, and thereby truth, is often misunderstood is because people attempt to understand Him through their subjective mind and heart. The problem with this, which is of course undisclosed to them, is that their hearts, meaning their emotions and attitudes, and their mind, meaning their beliefs, are all subject to themselves and their preferences. For instance, a person’s belief about the existence of God might change from a non-belief to a belief in existence. This change in belief, however, does not mean that truth changed, but that the person’s belief went from a false belief to a true belief (Geisler 743). Truth is not changed by a person’s attitude toward it. “An arrogant person does not make the truth he professes false. A humble person does not make the error he professes true” (Geisler and Turek 38). Even though the world seems as though it changes, and the hearts and minds of people change, truth does not. Truth does not change because God does not change.
A second objection to the Christian claim for absolute truth is made by people who want all religions to have an equal standing. They are advocates of religious pluralism, which is the belief that “Every religion is true. Each provides a genuine encounter with the Ultimate. One may be better than others, but all are adequate” (Geisler 598). This view is held by many people across the world, but especially in the American religious society. In an effort to not offend anyone around them, people offer pluralism as a satisfactory alternative to the exclusivism of Christianity. Purporting that all religions are true, religious pluralists deny the Law of Noncontradiction, and therefore argue against their own presuppositions.
The Law of Noncontradiction is defined by saying, “Being cannot be nonbeing, for they are direct opposites. And opposites cannot be the same” (Geisler 250). This means that by nature of the truth proposed, that truth automatically rules out all other proposed truths and categorizes them as false. The Law of Noncontradiction is in affect not only in the natural world, but also in spiritual or religious truths. Simply by its definition, truth automatically rules out all claims that are in opposition to it. “All truths exclude their opposites. Even religious truths…. For if Humanism is true, then anything opposed to Humanism is false. Likewise, if Christianity is true, then anything opposed to Christianity is false” (Geisler and Turek 37).
Many, if not most, secular people are confused about this. They fail to understand that each religion is claiming to have or be absolute truth, and by the first principles of truth, one can know that this is a logical impossibility. For instance, Christians believe that those who do not believe Jesus is the Son of God and are forgiven of their sins will go to hell. At the same time, Muslims believe that all who reject Allah and Islam will go to hell. Based on their beliefs, Christians cannot become Muslims, which means that both are declaring opposite truths. By definition of the Law of Noncontradiction, this is illogical. Opposites cannot both be true (Geisler and Turek 45). This leads to the reality that a decision must be made regarding which religion has the right claim to absolute truth. Looking further into the doctrines of Christianity, one can see that its claims are the most logical and realistic.
A third and possibly less used objection regards the disagreement of Christians over absolute truth. The argument states that Christians claim to have absolute truth, and Christians disagree over what absolute truth is; therefore, Christians must say that absolute truth is relative. This is based on the fact that many denominations disagree over some of the claims of Christianity, which is accurate. The main disagreement is typically over the person of Jesus Christ and/or how one is saved. This has been a point of disagreement in Christian circles since the day of His death in the first century. In the last century, however, there were many more influential and extreme approaches taken, such as those proposed by Schleiermacher and Tillich (Grenz and Olson 39-51, 114-130).
As true as it is that people disagree over these issues within Christian circles, and each claims to have the truth, this does not mean that they do. Two things must be kept in mind. First is the fact that not all who claim to be Christians are actually that. Anyone can call themselves a Christian, but not truly be one. Truth is not changed based on one’s belief. Christians are those who recognize that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on behalf of the sins of the world, that He rose from the dead, and that through truly believing in Him as this exact Person, one can be saved. Anyone claiming that Jesus is not or did not do one of these things is not a Christian, whether they call themselves one or not. For instance, some pastors are declaring to their congregations that religious pluralism is an accurate picture of reality (Geisler and Turek 38, 44). However, these pastors are not truly Christians, because by saying that all other religions are true, they are denying the exclusivity of Jesus Christ, His Person and His work. And secondly, the truths Christians disagree over are those that are not essential to the foundation or core of Christianity. True Christians disagree over the peripheral claims described in Scripture. These may include the right form of worship, the correct form of missions, or the roles of the genders. There are certainly thousands of things disagreed upon by Christians, but none of these aspects of disagreement is an essential truth of the gospel of Christ; therefore, they are not opposing one another’s absolute claim about the truth of the gospel, but are simply not fully aware of the exact truth of those peripheral issues (Geisler and Turek 37-38). They are therefore, in no way obligated to say truth is relative.
The Christian case for absolute truth is one that is firmly grounded in the basis of reality, and the Person and nature of God. He is the designer, sustainer, and being of reality. There is no claim that can be made against the absolute nature of God that cannot be refuted. These three objections—truth is always changing, religious pluralism is acceptable, and Christians are obligated to say truth is relative—can all be refuted with Scripture, reason, and faith. What is more important, however, is that Christianity is the religion that accurately claims absolute truth, and these absolute truths are such that they determine and define the reality of man’s need for a savior and destiny of hell without that savior. The absolute truths of Christianity are not contradictory, but offer hope for every man, at every time, and at every place, just as an absolute truth should do.
Works Cited
Geisler, Norman L. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1999, Pp. 250-251, 598-601, 741-745.
Geisler, Norman L., and Frank Turek. I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2004, Pp. 35-70.
Grenz, Stanley J. and Roger E. Olson. 20th Century Theology: God and the World in a Transitional Age. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1992, Pp. 39-51, 114-130.
Holy Bible. New American Standard Version. Indianapolis, IN: B.B. Kirkbride Bible Company, Inc. 1993.
McKay, Thomas. Reasons Explanations and Decisions: Guidelines for Critical Thinking. Canada: Wadsworth, 2000, P. 25.
“Truth.” New Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus. Danbury: Lexicon Publications, Inc., 1992, P. 1059.
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