Here's a topic that is probably long over due.
Not too long ago I came across a person who told me that what was true for me was not true for him, and what's true for him may not be true for me. This would not be a big deal, if we were talking about the best burrito in the fast-food industry. But we weren't; we were discussing reality. Specifically, religion and beliefs.
Let me start by defining truth. Truth is a notion or idea that accurately describes reality as it is.
There are two categories that truth falls under. First, you have "relative truth". "Relative truth" is a truth like what my friend was promoting. A relative truth is one that can conflict with another, yet not cause any issues. These tend to be matters of opinion, perspective, and taste- such as one's preference for Taco Bell over KFC, while someone else can hold it the other way around. Have you ever heard someone say "Its freezing in here!", while the person standing right next to them says, "Are you nuts?! Its burning up in here!" The temperature (freezing or burning) of the room is a relative truth.
Second, you have "objective truth". This is a truth that is true whether someone believes it or not, proves it or not, or observes it or not. 1+1=2 would be an example of one of these truths. Two opposing claims in the same context cannot be both objectively true. Only one can be true. Now, many can be false (1+1=3; 1+1=4.2; etc...), but only one can be true.
Many people like to deny the existence of the second type of truth because by definition, it is quite intolerant of false notions (and labels them quite noticeably) and is exclusivistic. "Exclusivistic" means that it alone is true, and no other opposing claim (in the same context) can be true. It seems to me that in today's global society we want so badly to "get along" that we are willing to compromise the very notion of truth itself to accomplish it.
Unfortunately, for these people, the Law of Noncontradiction stands in the way. This law states that no two opposing claims can be true simultaneously in the same context. Anytime that someone attempts to escape this law, they affirm it. The way an escape is attempted is to simply say that it is incorrect- one does not need to try to justify it because it has already failed. The way the attempt at an escape has failed is that the person making the claim- that the law is incorrect- is saying that the opposite (contradiction) is not correct in the same context. The Law of Noncontradiction is an example of an inescapable objective truth.
This is why I always urge people to do their best to make sure that when they debate someone, they understand the other's position. If the two of you are debating an objective truth, but don't define a few things (establishing the context), then you could be debating when realizing that the fact that you are referring to different contexts is the solution to the problem. Part of establishing context is to avoid a strawman argument (I discussed this in my post "Misengaged in Battle") and defining your terms (I'll go more in depth on this one later in a series of posts).
Objective truths are debated all the time in philosophy and theology. The most popular example is if there is a God or not. Another (less popular, but related) is if objective morals exist or not. Here's one that gets the emotional juices going- are all religions true or not?- or in another way- do all religions eventually lead to God (if He even exists) or not?
The different disciplines of science also search for objective truths. However, different from philosophy and theology, science focuses on the objective truths of nature. Please see my post "Consistency Among Disciplines" for more.
All of these truths (either from philosophy or science) are either true for everybody or they are false for everybody, regardless of anybody's opinion, perspective, or taste.
I have found that in a debate, it is crucial to establish if agreement exists between the parties as to whether or not the topic being debated is a "relative truth" or an "objective truth". If a topic is actually a "relative truth", then there really is no sense in debating (neither side will be held responsible for disagreeing with the other). If it is an "objective truth" then whoever is wrong (not, necessarily, who "wins" the debate) must recognize that the he will be subjected to the implications of disagreeing with the true side of the debate.
Ravi Zacharias gave a talk called The Basis for Truth. This talk was recently provided on Just Thinking. Here are the episodes:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Stuart McAlister from Ravi Zacharias International Ministries discusses truth on this episode of the podcast Just Thinking.
The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society- Part 2
Randall Niles recently posted a video on YouTube discussing the pursuit of truth. Here it is:
God's Existence, Science and Faith, Suffering and Evil, Jesus' Resurrection, and Book Reviews
Showing posts with label Just Thinking- Stuart McAlister. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Just Thinking- Stuart McAlister. Show all posts
Reaching Our Youth to Reach A Dying World
The Scientific Challenge
Throughout the school-age years, our children are constantly bombarded with the idea that science is superior to any religious belief in its grip on reality. They are taught that naturalistic Evolution is the only possible conclusion from the data, and it is proclaimed to be science fact. Of course, we know this to be untrue, but we must equip our children with sound reasons to believe that we are telling them the truth. They are given evidence by the academy for its positions; therefore, we must do the same. When we give our children sound counter-arguments to weigh against the arguments of the opposition, they are less likely to blindly accept the opposition. That will place them on firmer ground and prepare them as ambassadors for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a polarized(ing) world so deeply in need.
The Philosophical Challenge
Of course, the scientific debate is not the only challenge that our children will face. They will be confronted by other world religions, the cults, and other philosophies. In the humanities at university, they will be guided to believe that there are no absolutes (truth or moral). It is our job, not only to provide our children with a scientifically and logically sound arguments for their beliefs (1 Peter 3:15), but to see that they understand correct Christian doctrine (i.e. about God, Christ, the Trinity, sin, etc...). No one will be forced into the Kingdom by an impenetrable logical argument. In some cases man's pride will cause him to make the most ridiculous and fallacy-ridden arguments before he accepts his need for a Savior. I am convinced that the further man moves away from God, the more illogical he becomes. I also believe that the more illogical man becomes, the further he moves away from God.
Faith is Logical and Emotional
Having said that, we also need to cultivate a love for Christ in our children that burns until they are consumed with it. Christ told us "If you love me, you will obey what I command." (John 14:15) This was not a statement of how to prove to Christ that you "love" him (works-based theology, but that's a different topic), it was a statement of how the world will be able to identify Christ's love in you (see also John 15) and see that you are acting on what Christ taught (in an effort to avoid hypocrisy). Christ summed up all His commands with this simple phrase, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself" (Luke 10:27, Italics mine). Providing an apologetic argument to others is part of loving God with our mind and loving our neighbor enough to help him overcome his doubt, so that he can enjoy the gift that Christ has given to us of the freedom from the separation from God.
The Danger
Unfortunately, I have seen too many youths who considered themselves Christians, then lost their faith when they got into the world. Most of them state that a college professor was able to reason them away from a belief in God altogether. Or a coworker with a different worldview quickly convinced them that there are many ways to God. I have also asked kids (before they get to this point) why they believe in Jesus Christ. Many of them simply say "because the Bible says so". If I was an unbeliever, why would I accept that as a valid reason if I didn't accept the Bible as a valid source of truth in the first place?
To Youth Leaders
I have seen in many of our churches that the youth group is spending too much time trying to "babysit" youth rather than teach them to understand the reasons and foundations for their faith or equipping them with sound tactics for evangelizing to the skeptics. I'm not saying that we aren't teaching our children about Jesus and all the stories in the Bible. What I am saying is that we spend too much time stressing memorization, and not enough time understanding how and why our Faith is coherent, logical, and most importantly, TRUE.
I also don't see (anywhere) where our youth are taught to appeal to extra-Biblical sources in their witness. Unbelievers don't accept the Bible as a source of truth (I found that out the hard way in my early college years); so the witnessing Christian who only uses the Bible is at a great disadvantage and limits the work of the Holy Spirit. Yes, the Holy Spirit pushes people toward the Gospel, but it is ultimately the person's choice whether to accept it or not. Yes, the Holy Spirit works through the believer to witness to that person. But, our knowledge and understanding limits what we can do. God works through Christians, but we place limits on how God can use us by limiting our knowledge and understanding. God gave us a mind. He commands us to use it. He also commanded us to make disciples of all people. Therefore, we should use our mind to make disciples of all people.
Our youth have the opportunity to be the most powerful ambassadors for Christ in the academy. If they can soundly challenge the crap that is being force-fed to them, they not only strengthen themselves, they strengthen other (less knowledgeable) believers, and they sow many seeds of doubt about the alternatives in the minds of unbelieving students. Imagine how the Holy Spirit could use our youth who choose not to place intellectual limits on themselves.
Christianity is different from every other religion, not just because it is the truth, but it can provide the Believer with spiritual, emotional, and intellectual fulfillment. If we allow God to work through us to show our children how fulfilling knowing the One True God can be, there is no end to how God can and will use them to reach this dying world.
Jesus made the most radical claim in history: "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man comes to the Father except through me." It is time we teach our children how to defend that statement.
Throughout the school-age years, our children are constantly bombarded with the idea that science is superior to any religious belief in its grip on reality. They are taught that naturalistic Evolution is the only possible conclusion from the data, and it is proclaimed to be science fact. Of course, we know this to be untrue, but we must equip our children with sound reasons to believe that we are telling them the truth. They are given evidence by the academy for its positions; therefore, we must do the same. When we give our children sound counter-arguments to weigh against the arguments of the opposition, they are less likely to blindly accept the opposition. That will place them on firmer ground and prepare them as ambassadors for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a polarized(ing) world so deeply in need.
The Philosophical Challenge
Of course, the scientific debate is not the only challenge that our children will face. They will be confronted by other world religions, the cults, and other philosophies. In the humanities at university, they will be guided to believe that there are no absolutes (truth or moral). It is our job, not only to provide our children with a scientifically and logically sound arguments for their beliefs (1 Peter 3:15), but to see that they understand correct Christian doctrine (i.e. about God, Christ, the Trinity, sin, etc...). No one will be forced into the Kingdom by an impenetrable logical argument. In some cases man's pride will cause him to make the most ridiculous and fallacy-ridden arguments before he accepts his need for a Savior. I am convinced that the further man moves away from God, the more illogical he becomes. I also believe that the more illogical man becomes, the further he moves away from God.
Faith is Logical and Emotional
Having said that, we also need to cultivate a love for Christ in our children that burns until they are consumed with it. Christ told us "If you love me, you will obey what I command." (John 14:15) This was not a statement of how to prove to Christ that you "love" him (works-based theology, but that's a different topic), it was a statement of how the world will be able to identify Christ's love in you (see also John 15) and see that you are acting on what Christ taught (in an effort to avoid hypocrisy). Christ summed up all His commands with this simple phrase, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself" (Luke 10:27, Italics mine). Providing an apologetic argument to others is part of loving God with our mind and loving our neighbor enough to help him overcome his doubt, so that he can enjoy the gift that Christ has given to us of the freedom from the separation from God.
The Danger
Unfortunately, I have seen too many youths who considered themselves Christians, then lost their faith when they got into the world. Most of them state that a college professor was able to reason them away from a belief in God altogether. Or a coworker with a different worldview quickly convinced them that there are many ways to God. I have also asked kids (before they get to this point) why they believe in Jesus Christ. Many of them simply say "because the Bible says so". If I was an unbeliever, why would I accept that as a valid reason if I didn't accept the Bible as a valid source of truth in the first place?
To Youth Leaders
I have seen in many of our churches that the youth group is spending too much time trying to "babysit" youth rather than teach them to understand the reasons and foundations for their faith or equipping them with sound tactics for evangelizing to the skeptics. I'm not saying that we aren't teaching our children about Jesus and all the stories in the Bible. What I am saying is that we spend too much time stressing memorization, and not enough time understanding how and why our Faith is coherent, logical, and most importantly, TRUE.
I also don't see (anywhere) where our youth are taught to appeal to extra-Biblical sources in their witness. Unbelievers don't accept the Bible as a source of truth (I found that out the hard way in my early college years); so the witnessing Christian who only uses the Bible is at a great disadvantage and limits the work of the Holy Spirit. Yes, the Holy Spirit pushes people toward the Gospel, but it is ultimately the person's choice whether to accept it or not. Yes, the Holy Spirit works through the believer to witness to that person. But, our knowledge and understanding limits what we can do. God works through Christians, but we place limits on how God can use us by limiting our knowledge and understanding. God gave us a mind. He commands us to use it. He also commanded us to make disciples of all people. Therefore, we should use our mind to make disciples of all people.
Our youth have the opportunity to be the most powerful ambassadors for Christ in the academy. If they can soundly challenge the crap that is being force-fed to them, they not only strengthen themselves, they strengthen other (less knowledgeable) believers, and they sow many seeds of doubt about the alternatives in the minds of unbelieving students. Imagine how the Holy Spirit could use our youth who choose not to place intellectual limits on themselves.
Christianity is different from every other religion, not just because it is the truth, but it can provide the Believer with spiritual, emotional, and intellectual fulfillment. If we allow God to work through us to show our children how fulfilling knowing the One True God can be, there is no end to how God can and will use them to reach this dying world.
Jesus made the most radical claim in history: "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man comes to the Father except through me." It is time we teach our children how to defend that statement.
Find other posts related to:
Just Thinking- Stuart McAlister, Podcast- Just Thinking, Youth
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