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- Aren’t Religions All The Same?
The Objection: How can you claim that Christianity is the only way?! How can you say that someone is wrong? Everyone has the right to decide for themselves what is right or wrong! You’re being intolerant and hateful when you say your way is the only way, because “Everything Is Relative”.
What Are Some Of The Ways That We See Relativism Every Day?
“You can’t impose your morals on me”! The person saying this is clearly an imposing moral judgment isn’t he! In addition, all societal laws impose a moral requirement, according to the perspective of the lawgiver. So the right question is not ‘are morals neutral?’ but instead ‘what morals are right or true‘?
“You should not be judgmental”! Sometimes it seems that the non-believer’s favorite Bible verse seems to be ‘Judge not lest ye be judged”! But similar to the mis-logic of the moral neutrality claim, the non-judgmental claim is itself a claim that passes judgment! The logic trend we are seeing is grounded in a specific issue: That these claims of neutrality are ‘unlivable’.
“You Are Being Intolerant”! “Tolerance” seems to be one of the dogma’s of current Western social philosophy (aka religion). Violate this maxim at your own peril – because the disciples of ‘tolerance’ will certainly be intolerant of your view! The problem is, popular culture has misunderstood the concept and definition of tolerance. According to Webster, tolerance is defined as “to recognize and respect without necessarily agreeing to sympathizing”. In other words, by definition a person is in disagreement with another’s view, if they are going to be ‘tolerant’. But today, tolerance has been redefined essentially as ‘acceptance’. Clearly, this adjustment of definition has been accomplished to confuse an honorable condition (tolerance) for one that is logically impossible (acceptance of all terms.)
Some Of The Problems With Relativism
No One Is Right, No One Is Wrong – Are we ready to acknowledge that Abraham Lincoln and the Union was wrong about trying to abolish slavery? Is the earth round or not? Were the civil reformers in the 1960’s right or not? The society cannot dictate, because if it is allowed to, no one could say that the Nazi’s were wrong! Are we ready to live with that?
Relativists Cannot Preach ‘Tolerance’ – What is the first thing a relativist says when they discuss morality with someone who does not agree with them? They claim they are wrong (thus violating their misguided definition of tolerance!)
Relativists Cannot Cry Foul – Steal their car, and the average relativist will declare that you did something wrong! Personal definition of morality is up to the person making it, so get ready for the person to say that stealing the car fits within his own personal morality! Claiming that he broke the law is illogical, since he may disagree with that which the society has determined is moral!
The Requirement For Objective Truth – Is there something that is ‘right’ or ‘true’, no matter what and no matter when and no matter who? There must be! Otherwise we are not honest with ourselves. The ‘unlivability’ mentioned above refers to the concept that the people making these claims simply can’t follow through on them; they can’t live the way that they claim; they say it but they can’t do it! Indeed, as it has been said, “If there is no truth, that’s a great reason to tolerate no one!”
Indeed, it is intuitive that there must be Objective Truth. The logic above indicates this, as well as all the other illogical results of subjectivism. It is obvious to us, naturally. It is required to live without contradicting ourselves. Don’t agree? How do we know the from the following example: There are no square circles. How do we know this? We just know! These are rational intuitions (according to Koukl). Just as there are rational intuitions, there are moral intuitions, which can be known (for example: rape is wrong). In short, if we want to talk like we live, we must believe in Objective Truth. The only question that remains, is: “What is the Objective Truth?”
How Are We To Find Out What Is ‘True’?
Is it by the law, or by what society wants? No. That would simply implement a system of ‘those in power make the laws’, also known as ‘might makes right’. Most people (except those in power) would intuitively agree that this is ‘wrong’, or at least clearly undesirable (think of the Nazi regime, and what was ‘legal’ in that society!)
Is it by what I like? No. This is the most prevalent kind of relativism. But my definition is clearly not going to be everyone’s definition, and would be based upon what I want, and are subject to change. Clearly not objective, if it is subject to change. In reality, we see that people are generally just trying to get ‘their way’, and use subjectivity to claim their prize. In short, this is nothing more than selfishness!
There must be an ‘external benchmark‘, for there to be something to compare against, in order to determine if something is ‘true’. Morals are not something we can touch or measure – and they are part of all of us – any person at any time in the history of the world. There must be something immaterial, also known as super-natural. This is what places Objective Truth squarely in the realm of the spiritual, and provides another rational reason to believe (have faith in) Christianity.
Think Of Some Of The Benefits Of The Christian Worldview:
– An External Lawgiver Is The Source Of Right And Wrong
– Tolerance Is Expected
– Love, Caregiving, and Compassion Are The Norm
Atheism, Naturalism, Islam, Buddhism, or Hinduism cannot offer these positions! Christianity therefore proves itself to be the only morally coherent, livable Faith!
Finally, Jesus claimed to be the ‘Truth’. What does this mean practically? It means that Jesus, as the Creator and Sovereign of all creation, is the source and meaning of all things that are True. It means that anything that is True is based in His will and desire, and that we are accountable to Him solely and surely.