Absolute Truth - True or False?

[OneLight]

I would submit that there is both absolute and relative truths. Let me explain.

Absolute truth can be seen in certain facts like you have to believe that God exists in order to have salvation. Relative truth can be seen with examples like, is it OK to listen to Christian Rap or are we conforming to the world.

[nebula]

Relative truth can be seen with examples like, is it OK to listen to Christian Rap or are we conforming to the world.

Counter-argument:

God knows the truth about this.

We just can't agree on what His truth is.

[Guest shiloh357]

I would submit that there is both absolute and relative truths. Let me explain.

Absolute truth can be seen in certain facts like you have to believe that God exists in order to have salvation. Relative truth can be seen with examples like, is it OK to listen to Christian Rap or are we conforming to the world.

Not really.

Absolute and relative pertain to perceptions of reality. When a person treats truth as relative, it produces what is known as "situational ethics" where right and wrong are relative to the situation as opposed to an absolute standard.

Absolute truth says murder is a sin, no exceptions. Relative truth holds to the view that murder may or may not be wrong depending on reasons it was committed.

Relative truth says that certain sins are okay as long as you don't bring harm to anyone else. That mentality is used to justify all kinds of sexual immorality.

Truth by nature, exists independent of anything else around it. Truth always demands conformity to itself. Relativsts are always trying to make truth conform to their own philosophy of right and wrong.

Truth never changes. It changes everything around it.

[Guest shiloh357]

I find the Christian usage of the word truth to be confusing.

One minute it is being used in a traditional sense to illustrate internal consistency or as a concept of a statement conforming to reality, the next minute it is being used as a substitute for words like morality or ethics.

Whether something is factually true or false has little bearing on whether it is morally right or wrong.

Absolute truth and morality are interconnected. You cannot establish moral integrity if not for absolute truth. Otherwise all behavior is relative, and there is no standard for right and wrong.

[OneLight]

I would submit that there is both absolute and relative truths. Let me explain.

Absolute truth can be seen in certain facts like you have to believe that God exists in order to have salvation. Relative truth can be seen with examples like, is it OK to listen to Christian Rap or are we conforming to the world.

Not really.

Absolute and relative pertain to perceptions of reality. When a person treats truth as relative, it produces what is known as "situational ethics" where right and wrong are relative to the situation as opposed to an absolute standard.

Absolute truth says murder is a sin, no exceptions. Relative truth holds to the view that murder may or may not be wrong depending on reasons it was committed.

Relative truth says that certain sins are okay as long as you don't bring harm to anyone else. That mentality is used to justify all kinds of sexual immorality.

Truth by nature, exists independent of anything else around it. Truth always demands conformity to itself. Relativsts are always trying to make truth conform to their own philosophy of right and wrong.

Truth never changes. It changes everything around it.

You have me confused with your disagreement. You only used different examples then I did, but are saying the same thing? Maybe I used bad examples?

You seem to be questioning my example of relative truth. So, let me use another example that is more clear cut. One group believes it is a sin not to worship on the Sabbath while another does not. To those who see it as sin, it becomes sin to them. To those who don't, it does not. Why? One group honors that day for the Lord and stands upon the 4th Commandment for proof, so if they break it, to them it is sin. The other group believes that Christ came to fulfill all the laws and Prophets, giving us a new covenant where we are free to worship any day we will, for the sabbath is made for men, not man for the sabbath. Both based in scripture. Who is right? Each hold to their own relative truth.

[Guest shiloh357]

You have me confused with your disagreement. You only used different examples then I did, but are saying the same thing? Maybe I used bad examples?

No, the examples you used had nothing to do with the differences between absolute and realtive truth.

You seem to be questioning my example of relative truth. So, let me use another example that is more clear cut. One group believes it is a sin not to worship on the Sabbath while another does not. To those who see it as sin, it becomes sin to them. To those who don't, it does not. Why? One group honors that day for the Lord and stands upon the 4th Commandment for proof, so if they break it, to them it is sin. The other group believes that Christ came to fulfill all the laws and Prophets, giving us a new covenant where we are free to worship any day we will, for the sabbath is made for men, not man for the sabbath. Both based in scripture. Who is right? Each hold to their own relative truth.

Again, that is not an example of relative truth.

Absolute truth and relative truth do not pertain to differences of opinon, tradition, religious observance and so forth.

What we are dealing with in terms of what truth is, are behavioral pardaigms. REAL Truth is always fixed. "Relative truth" is a human concoction. The Bible deals solely with truth in an absolute sense, which is why the moral code the Bible contains is so offensive to human nature.

Absolute truth implies accountability. Accountablity indicates that that we are responsible beofore SOMEONE for our actions. So, the response of mankind is to deny the existence of absolute truth, thus removing (at least one's own mind) the reality of potential accountability. Truth then becomes a matter of opinion and behavior becomes a matter of personal prefence and no single preference is more right or wrong than any other. Thus, homosexuality is seen as being as normal and healthy as hetrosexuality. So long as your actions don't infringe on the preferences of someone else or cause them harm, then you free to practice whatever form of "morality" that your heart dictates.

[OneLight]

You have me confused with your disagreement. You only used different examples then I did, but are saying the same thing? Maybe I used bad examples?

No, the examples you used had nothing to do with the differences between absolute and realtive truth.

You seem to be questioning my example of relative truth. So, let me use another example that is more clear cut. One group believes it is a sin not to worship on the Sabbath while another does not. To those who see it as sin, it becomes sin to them. To those who don't, it does not. Why? One group honors that day for the Lord and stands upon the 4th Commandment for proof, so if they break it, to them it is sin. The other group believes that Christ came to fulfill all the laws and Prophets, giving us a new covenant where we are free to worship any day we will, for the sabbath is made for men, not man for the sabbath. Both based in scripture. Who is right? Each hold to their own relative truth.

Again, that is not an example of relative truth.

Absolute truth and relative truth do not pertain to differences of opinon, tradition, religious observance and so forth.

What we are dealing with in terms of what truth is, are behavioral pardaigms. REAL Truth is always fixed. "Relative truth" is a human concoction. The Bible deals solely with truth in an absolute sense, which is why the moral code the Bible contains is so offensive to human nature.

Absolute truth implies accountability. Accountablity indicates that that we are responsible beofore SOMEONE for our actions. So, the response of mankind is to deny the existence of absolute truth, thus removing (at least one's own mind) the reality of potential accountability. Truth then becomes a matter of opinion and behavior becomes a matter of personal prefence and no single preference is more right or wrong than any other. Thus, homosexuality is seen as being as normal and healthy as hetrosexuality. So long as your actions don't infringe on the preferences of someone else or cause them harm, then you free to practice whatever form of "morality" that your heart dictates.

So, what is the definition of relative truth? Edited to add that I am thinking of postmodernism.

[Guest shiloh357]

So, what is the definition of relative truth? Edited to add that I am thinking of postmodernism.

Well, I think I accurately presented relative truth. It is "truth" based on individual situations, and individual paradigms or frames of reference.

A person caught in relative truth would say there are no moral absolutes. Relative truth leads to the "if it feels good, do it" type of mentality. Everything is relative therefore, there no absolutes that define reality. Reality is whatever you make it or believe it to be.

Thus relative truth is the rejection of biblical concept of sin.

[sysvr4]

Perhaps the question is not whether truth is absolute or relative but rather, what is the difference and how does it relate to our perception of reality, or our presumptions of certainty?

[methinkshe]

So, what is the definition of relative truth? Edited to add that I am thinking of postmodernism.

Well, I think I accurately presented relative truth. It is "truth" based on individual situations, and individual paradigms or frames of reference.

A person caught in relative truth would say there are no moral absolutes. Relative truth leads to the "if it feels good, do it" type of mentality. Everything is relative therefore, there no absolutes that define reality. Reality is whatever you make it or believe it to be.

Thus relative truth is the rejection of biblical concept of sin.

Personally, I think that "relative truth" is an oxymoron; by definition, truth is absolute. Introduce the descriptor "relative" and truth ceases to be truth and becomes a lie.

Truth is a 100% accurate account of all existence and all events. Change anything and it ceases to be truth. Just as 99.9% perfect = imperfect, so 99.9% truthful = a lie.

Within the whole truth about all existence and all events there are truths concerning individual existences and events. So we may know truth in part, but that is not the same as partial truth which is, in fact, a lie.

Within the Bible we find some of the truth, and all of it is absolute. We are not given all of the truth because it would be far too great for us to handle. In any case, the whole truth about all existence and all events would fill millions of books! But what we are given may be relied on as absolute.

Edited for typo.