As I travel around Iowa, take Iowa collage courses, and talk to Iowan people, It never ceases to fascinate me concerning people's different opinion on what is true. I believe the most astounding thing that I have heard is the term: "There is no absolute truth". Right off the bat this makes no sense to me. How can I even believe that statement if I, for lack of better words, believe that statement. The three words itself is a contradiction. By making that statement, the speaker is assuming that what he is saying is true, which is contradicting the fact that there is no absolute truth.
I took a college course on philosophy, and was astounded at how many people in my class believed that there is no absolute truth; that truth is relative. Indeed, I was the only one (other than my teacher) who opposed this statement. They believed that if John believed that a towel was blue, it was blue. But if Susan believed that the towel was red, it was red. So in reality, the towel was both blue and red at the exact same time. This is physically impossible, as well as illogical. However, talk to most college students, and this is the idea that you will find most widely accepted.
For me, it is not hard to see that the root of the problem is a matter of confusion between perception, and reality. John may actually perceive the towel as blue, and Susan might actually perceive the towel as red. Whereas both of their perception might truly be blue or red, the actual color of the towel can only be one color. Perhaps the towel is actually green. If it is, then the truth of the matter is that the towel is green and that both John and Susan are wrong. Logically and physically, the towel can only be one possible color. The whole population may believe it to be blue, but that doesn't make it blue. Belief and truth are two separate things. That is, of course, not saying that belief can never be true. Often time it is, yet often time it is not.
So why then is this view so widely accepted. I believe it is part of a new trend called 'Easy Believism'
Easy Believism is an idea that is running rampant in the churches now a day, and is often focused as a problem solely within the church. However, I believe that this idea is bigger than just a problem with the church. Confrontations are starting to be frowned on. "Don't offend anyone" and "Be politically correct" are terms you hear all too often. We are becoming a wimpy society. We don't want to step on any one's toes, or make anyone mad. Believing in the easy stuff is a fix to potentially offending someone. If someone comes up with an idea that is easy for everyone to believe in, then the chances of one becoming offended is dropped. Maybe it is time that we stop believing what is easy, and forcing ourselves to look at the harder, more aggressive views in life.
The Bible (which I believe to be completely true) states "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Not once does it say "whatever thing are easy". It also makes it very clear that there is a universal truth when it says to think about what is true.
So some of you may believe what I said to be truth, and some of you may believe it to be false. But I assure you one of those groups is wrong. One truth my friends...one truth.
