What is truth? Is there such a thing as absolute truth or is every “truth” relative to perspective or some other factor? What is it that defines what is truth?
In this post, I will talk a little about truth and opinion. I really expect that this article will raise a few hackles. As part of this discussion, I will address some things that I believe to be truth and you are free to disagree with my conclusions. . .
First, let’s get a definition from the dictionary. NOTE: This text is not the COMPLETE definition, but rather I have chosen those portions that are related to what I wish to discuss. These are taken from the Merriam-Webster online dictionary. You can read for yourself HERE. Here is how Merriam-Webster defines “truth”:
2 a (1) : the state of being the case : fact
(2) : the body of real things, events, and facts : actuality
(3) often capitalized : a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality
b : a judgment, proposition, or idea that is true or accepted as true <truths of thermodynamics>
c : the body of true statements and propositions
3 a : the property (as of a statement) of being in accord with fact or reality
c : fidelity to an original or to a standard
Truth really is not that difficult of a word to understand. Many things can be said to either be truth or not truth. For example, statements like, “Water is wet” or “The sun is hot” are true statements. There is no question about whether you agree or not, they are simply true and we all seem to accept this. These fit into the definition above with 2-a-1, 2 and 3a. In other words, these are things that are simply factual statements.
Consider a statement like, “Cheese is yucky.” This statement is one that is absolutely true for some people and absolutely NOT true for others. I have, in the recent past, had some discussions with some friends who say that this is a question of opinion and not of truth. However you may classify it, the fact remains that for the person who does not like the taste of cheese, it is certainly not just an opinion. For them, it is a simple matter of fact, as in definition 2-a-1. The difference here, though, is that this particular truth IS relative to the person.
There are some truths, however, that society considers relative that are not really relative at all. Let’s consider the question, “Does God exist and is he the God described in our Christian Bible?” On FaceBook, I have posed a question similar to this one and it was amazing to see the plethora of responses. Some believe, as I do, that He does, indeed, exist, while others believe there is “a” God and still others that there is no God at all. Is this, then, a “relative truth”? I would submit to you that it is STILL not relative. One or the other really IS the truth: Either He does exist (as described in the Bible) or He does not. It is ABSOLUTE. There is no grey area here. Now, you may BELIEVE that he does not exist, but your belief does not change what is factually true. Let me use another example. Suppose for a moment, that you believe with all your being that you could fly. While believing that, you jumped from a tall building. What do you suppose the result would be? If you answered something that ended with “splat!”, you’d be correct. You can believe as much as you wanted that you had the power to overcome gravity and the end result would be the same. Belief does NOT change what is fact. In this case, it is the belief that you can fly. The same is true of God’s existence. Either he IS or he IS NOT.
Let’s look at this from another perspective. Instead of the question of God’s existence, let’s ask the question, “Is the Bible God’s written word and is it the truth?” Again, either it is or it isn’t. What is relative here, is belief (opinion), not whether the bible is or isn’t true. As I look at the world and take in the things I see, I can see that the Bible accurately describes what I see. For example, I can see MANY of the prophecies in the Bible coming true. I can see the things that science discovers that fit the biblical description of what happened. In my own life, I can recall examples of God’s presence and interventions, just as the bible describes he will do. There are many other things I could list that point to the truth of the Bible. None of this “proves” that the bible is true. Rather, what it does is help ME to place my faith in the idea that it is true and accurate. Remember, though, that my opinion does not change the reality of whether it IS true or not. Only my opinion of it is impacted here.
Now that we’ve established that, let’s put these together. IF the Bible is true, then the God described therein is also real. Likewise, if God is real, then the Bible must also be true. These two cannot be separated. The Bible describes God (in the person of Jesus Christ) as “the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) If the bible really is true, then I must pose this question to you: Does the meaning of the Bible ever change? By that, I mean, are there societal movements that can alter the meaning of what God says in the Bible? For example, if it was wrong in old testament times to commit murder (10 commandments), is it still wrong? What about adultery? Jesus said that to even LOOK at a woman with lust is adultery. Is that still the case, or is it ok to “look at the menu, as long as I don’t order”, as I’ve heard people say? I’ve also heard people say things like “that was true for my grandparents, but it isn’t true today,” with regard to biblical teaching. Let me make one thing ultra clear: IF THE BIBLE IS TRUE, then it DOES NOT CHANGE WITH THE TIMES. Our belief does not change whether the bible is true or not, but how can you say that you believe the bible and believe God, but think that somehow it applies differently today than it did for your grandparents. Or for that matter, how is it different for Paul or the disciples than it is for us?
The real problem with all of this is that there are certain people who have tried to lay claim to a belief that the Bible IS true and then also claim that some other belief, which is in direct contradiction to the Bible, is also true. Listen carefully: IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR TWO OPPOSING VIEWS TO BE TRUE AT THE SAME TIME. This is true whether your “additional” belief is that homosexuality is acceptable or if you believe in evolution. You cannot believe both the bible and that “other thing” to be true. If you honestly believe the bible is true, then you must accept that it is ALL true. After all, contained in the bible is this statement: “All scripture is God-breathed…” (2 Timothy 3:16a). Not sure how a person could get around that part of the bible thinking only part of it is accurate.
I may post more on this concept at a later time, but I believe I will close this article by saying this: I believe the bible is true. I believe the bible describes God, who is also real. If I am correct and you believe differently, then it is necessarily true that you are wrong. I look forward to your responses both here and on FaceBook. 🙂