Is Truth Relative?
What is Relativism?
Relativism in its various forms has been one of the most popular cultural doctrines of modern times. Advocates have found a moral justification in relativism because as an ethical system it justifies open-mindedness and tolerance. The core contention of relativism is that no single account of truth or reality is superior over another, rather truth is subjective and based on individual perspectives. Like so many philosophical and religious systems there are very few clears lines with relativism and many degrees to which the relativist's will take his claims. Following are several versions of relativism, with their underlying problems.
Objective Relativism
This is the broadest of all forms of relativism. It claims that all truth is relative to the individual and no truth is universal. Truth is what you believe or your personal perspective. Why it matters – There would be no reason to seek truth and knowledge. No reason to have crime scene investigations, no need for science, history or mathematics, as none can lead us to any kind of universal truth. If there is no truth then Jesus is as relevant as David Koresh. How it fails – Everyone looks both ways before crossing the street because even the relativists known the truth; a moving car will kill them. Everyone waits for green before proceeding through the intersection, because even the relativists know the truth; when the light is red cars are crossing the intersection. Therefore, while the relativist makes his claim, he lives out the truths in the world around him everyday. In addition it fails the test of internal consistency we discussed in the previous tab. If “truth is relative” then that statement is relative. If the statement is relative then it is not true. If the statement is true, then truth is not relative because we just made a truth claim, that "truth is relative". How to expose - Ask the relativist, if I believe my wife is pregnant and she believes she is not pregnant, will she be both pregnant and not pregnant?
Religious Relativism
All religions are equally true, as long as you believe it. Why it matters – The Christian virtue of love would be equal to child sacrifice. Salvation can come through faith or suicide bombings. How it fails – It fails the Law of Non-contradiction that we discussed in the previous tab. Example: Christians believe the universe had a beginning while Buddhists believe it always existed. Both can not be true. Jesus said: “I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but through me.” Mohamed said, submission is the way and death by holy war is the only sure way. If all religions are true then God is a liar. How to expose - Ask the relativists if he thinks suicide bombers get 72 virgins in heaven. Ask them if joining the KKK leads to god.
Moral Relativism
No objective right or wrong. Morality is just an opinion or a cultural norm. Why it matters – No room for moral improvement: i.e., end slavery, child labor, etc. Becoming a teacher is as virtuous as becoming a drug dealer. If there is no right and wrong, there is no sin and no need for redemption. Rescuing a drowning child and murdering a child are morally neutral. How it fails – Everyone lives by some standard of right and wrong. History has demonstrated a universal moral consistency. The moral relativist can not live it out as everyone lives by some moral standard of right and wrong even if it is the protection of the environment, or the protection of animals and so forth. How to expose - Ask the relativist if we should prosecute people who abuse animals or child molesters.
Cultural Relativism
All cultures are equal in every way and no culture is superior to another. Why it matters – Some cultures provide greater social improvement. Some cultures lack the civility and equality of Western Civilization. Cultural relativism puts democracy on the same level as communism. With cultural relativism there is no incentive to help those civilizations whose cultural traditions are impoverishing its people. How it fails – A trip to many foreign countries demonstrates a wide array of social practices with their corresponding economic and social outcomes. Example: The Hindu caste system keeps people in poverty, Islam rejects female equality. How to expose - Ask the relativist if we should do anything about slavery in Congo seeing it's their culture.
Tolerance
Historically it meant a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one's own. Today it means you must accept and agree with everything and everyone. Nothing is wrong. Why it matters – No room to determine right and wrong. No room to judge what matters, i.e., moral behavior, artistic beauty, social norms, etc. How it fails – Nobody agrees everything is acceptable. Most people will agree rape is wrong, child and animal abuse are wrong. Should we be tolerant of that? The question is not whether everything should be acceptable (tolerance); the question is where to draw the line. How to expose - Ask the relativist if we should be tolerant towards elephant poachers and the ivory trade.
What is Postmodernism?
Postmodernism is a western movement based on the position that reality is not mirrored in human understanding of it, but is rather constructed as the mind tries to understand its own personal reality. Postmodernism is therefore skeptical of explanations that claim to be valid for all groups, cultures, traditions, or races, and instead focuses on the relative truths of each person. In the postmodern understanding, interpretation is everything; reality only comes into being through our interpretations of what the world means to us individually. Postmodern thinking has influenced the arts, music, architecture and literature. Primary beliefs include the following;
Below is a short list of some of the ways Postmodernism fails.
The idea that we live in a postmodern culture is a myth. In fact, a postmodern culture is an impossibility; it would be utterly unlivable. People are not relativistic when it comes to matters of science, engineering, and technology; rather, they are relativistic and pluralistic in matters of religion and ethics. But, of course, that's not postmodernism. William Lane Craig, God is not Dead Yet; Christianity Today
What is Pluralism?
Pluralism is the doctrine that claims that all cultural, societal and religious views are valid and equal. Many believe pluralism or multiculturalism is a fairer system that allows people to express who they are within a society that is more tolerant. They argue that culture is not one definable thing based on one race or religion, but rather the result of multiple factors that change as the world changes. It holds that no single explanatory system or view of reality can account for every aspect of life and therefore multiple views tend to heighten our knowledge base. Some religions such as Hindus are pluralistic, "As people approach me, so I receive them. All paths lead to me" (Bhagavad Gītā 4:11) Primary beliefs include the following;
Below is a short list of some of the ways Pluralism fails.
Relativism’s Fatal Flaws
A teacher facing a class says: "The door to this room is on my right." But it is on the left for the students. Relativists argue that surely this truth is relative to the teacher since it is false for the class. But on the contrary it is equally true for everyone that the door is on the professor's right. This is an absolute truth. The truth is equally absolute that the door was on the student's left. http://www.theopedia.com/Truth
Some things appear only to be true at some times and not at others. For example, many people once believed the world to be flat. Now we know that truth statement was wrong. It would seem that this truth has changed with the times. Or has it? Did the truth change, or did beliefs about what is true change? Well, certainly the world did not change from a box to a sphere. What changed in this regard is our belief, not our earth. It changed from a false belief to a true one - James F. Harris, Against Relativism.
If relativism were true, then the world would be full of contradictory conditions. For if something is true for me but false for you, then opposite conditions exist. For if I say "There is milk in the refrigerator" and you say "there is not any milk in the refrigerator" - and we both are right, then there must both be and not be milk in the refrigerator at the same time and in the same sense. But that is impossible. So, if truth were relative, then an impossible would be actual. Norman L. Geisler and Winfried Corduan, Philosophy of Religion.
If truth is relative, then no one is ever wrong - even when they are. As long as something is true to me, then I'm right even when I'm wrong. The drawback is that I could never learn anything either, because learning is moving from a false belief to a true one - that is, from an absolutely false belief to an absolutely true one. The truth is that absolutes are inescapable. http://www.theopedia.com/Truth
Suppose I said “Pizza taste bad” and my wife said “Pizza taste good”. While both are truth statements both are also contradictory. Not so, because we are different people with different tastes, both can be truth statements as neither are statements of absolutes, rather statements of preferences or opinions.
Below is the list of seven fatal flaws of relativism from Francis J. Beckwith and Gregory Koukl, in their book, Relativism.
Answering the Relativist
Relativism is extremely empty and most importantly it is indefensible. Most of us should be able to expose its flaws within just a few minutes. Below is a list of popular phrases or questions from relativists and some of the ways we can respond when we here them.
It’s true for me but not for you.
Who are you to judge others?
Reality is an illusion.
Christians are intolerant of others.
You have no right to convert others to your views.
Your values are right for you, but not for me.
Who are you to say another culture’s values are wrong or impose your values?
Christianity excludes too many other views.
All religions lead to the same God.
Truth is relative.
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds…. 2 Timothy 3:1-8
Articles
A Response to Philosophical Postmodernism Norman Geisler
Has Post Modernism Killed Truth Craig Branch
How do We Know Epistemology Apologetics Resource Center
Relativism in its various forms has been one of the most popular cultural doctrines of modern times. Advocates have found a moral justification in relativism because as an ethical system it justifies open-mindedness and tolerance. The core contention of relativism is that no single account of truth or reality is superior over another, rather truth is subjective and based on individual perspectives. Like so many philosophical and religious systems there are very few clears lines with relativism and many degrees to which the relativist's will take his claims. Following are several versions of relativism, with their underlying problems.
Objective Relativism
This is the broadest of all forms of relativism. It claims that all truth is relative to the individual and no truth is universal. Truth is what you believe or your personal perspective. Why it matters – There would be no reason to seek truth and knowledge. No reason to have crime scene investigations, no need for science, history or mathematics, as none can lead us to any kind of universal truth. If there is no truth then Jesus is as relevant as David Koresh. How it fails – Everyone looks both ways before crossing the street because even the relativists known the truth; a moving car will kill them. Everyone waits for green before proceeding through the intersection, because even the relativists know the truth; when the light is red cars are crossing the intersection. Therefore, while the relativist makes his claim, he lives out the truths in the world around him everyday. In addition it fails the test of internal consistency we discussed in the previous tab. If “truth is relative” then that statement is relative. If the statement is relative then it is not true. If the statement is true, then truth is not relative because we just made a truth claim, that "truth is relative". How to expose - Ask the relativist, if I believe my wife is pregnant and she believes she is not pregnant, will she be both pregnant and not pregnant?
Religious Relativism
All religions are equally true, as long as you believe it. Why it matters – The Christian virtue of love would be equal to child sacrifice. Salvation can come through faith or suicide bombings. How it fails – It fails the Law of Non-contradiction that we discussed in the previous tab. Example: Christians believe the universe had a beginning while Buddhists believe it always existed. Both can not be true. Jesus said: “I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but through me.” Mohamed said, submission is the way and death by holy war is the only sure way. If all religions are true then God is a liar. How to expose - Ask the relativists if he thinks suicide bombers get 72 virgins in heaven. Ask them if joining the KKK leads to god.
Moral Relativism
No objective right or wrong. Morality is just an opinion or a cultural norm. Why it matters – No room for moral improvement: i.e., end slavery, child labor, etc. Becoming a teacher is as virtuous as becoming a drug dealer. If there is no right and wrong, there is no sin and no need for redemption. Rescuing a drowning child and murdering a child are morally neutral. How it fails – Everyone lives by some standard of right and wrong. History has demonstrated a universal moral consistency. The moral relativist can not live it out as everyone lives by some moral standard of right and wrong even if it is the protection of the environment, or the protection of animals and so forth. How to expose - Ask the relativist if we should prosecute people who abuse animals or child molesters.
Cultural Relativism
All cultures are equal in every way and no culture is superior to another. Why it matters – Some cultures provide greater social improvement. Some cultures lack the civility and equality of Western Civilization. Cultural relativism puts democracy on the same level as communism. With cultural relativism there is no incentive to help those civilizations whose cultural traditions are impoverishing its people. How it fails – A trip to many foreign countries demonstrates a wide array of social practices with their corresponding economic and social outcomes. Example: The Hindu caste system keeps people in poverty, Islam rejects female equality. How to expose - Ask the relativist if we should do anything about slavery in Congo seeing it's their culture.
Tolerance
Historically it meant a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one's own. Today it means you must accept and agree with everything and everyone. Nothing is wrong. Why it matters – No room to determine right and wrong. No room to judge what matters, i.e., moral behavior, artistic beauty, social norms, etc. How it fails – Nobody agrees everything is acceptable. Most people will agree rape is wrong, child and animal abuse are wrong. Should we be tolerant of that? The question is not whether everything should be acceptable (tolerance); the question is where to draw the line. How to expose - Ask the relativist if we should be tolerant towards elephant poachers and the ivory trade.
What is Postmodernism?
Postmodernism is a western movement based on the position that reality is not mirrored in human understanding of it, but is rather constructed as the mind tries to understand its own personal reality. Postmodernism is therefore skeptical of explanations that claim to be valid for all groups, cultures, traditions, or races, and instead focuses on the relative truths of each person. In the postmodern understanding, interpretation is everything; reality only comes into being through our interpretations of what the world means to us individually. Postmodern thinking has influenced the arts, music, architecture and literature. Primary beliefs include the following;
- Postmodernists are skeptical of any truth claim or universal statement.
- They reject the dogma of science and empirical claims.
- Emotions, feelings, intuition, reflection, magic, myth, and mystical experience are the source of knowledge. Knowledge comes from within.
- Words have no external reference point. Therefore words are meaningless.
Below is a short list of some of the ways Postmodernism fails.
- The skeptic must also be skeptical of his skeptism, therefore making it invalid.
- They don’t reject the dogma of science when they are lying in a hospital bed.
- What if my intuition was telling me to drown my children or have an affair?
- Postmodernists use words to communicate their view, believing they have meaning, and therefore postmodernism fails its own test.
- The postmodernist looks both ways before crossing the street.
The idea that we live in a postmodern culture is a myth. In fact, a postmodern culture is an impossibility; it would be utterly unlivable. People are not relativistic when it comes to matters of science, engineering, and technology; rather, they are relativistic and pluralistic in matters of religion and ethics. But, of course, that's not postmodernism. William Lane Craig, God is not Dead Yet; Christianity Today
What is Pluralism?
Pluralism is the doctrine that claims that all cultural, societal and religious views are valid and equal. Many believe pluralism or multiculturalism is a fairer system that allows people to express who they are within a society that is more tolerant. They argue that culture is not one definable thing based on one race or religion, but rather the result of multiple factors that change as the world changes. It holds that no single explanatory system or view of reality can account for every aspect of life and therefore multiple views tend to heighten our knowledge base. Some religions such as Hindus are pluralistic, "As people approach me, so I receive them. All paths lead to me" (Bhagavad Gītā 4:11) Primary beliefs include the following;
- They reject the exclusivity of any religion.
- All religions are the same, thus “all roads lead to God.”
- They believe all religions say the same basic thing.
Below is a short list of some of the ways Pluralism fails.
- Pluralists themselves are exclusive (all religions must lead to God); thus pluralism fails its own test.
- Violates the law of non-contradiction as all religions have grave contradictions among them.
- Religions do not say the same basic thing, most are fundamentally different.
- It puts Sharia Law and the oppression of women on the same level as equality under God.
Relativism’s Fatal Flaws
A teacher facing a class says: "The door to this room is on my right." But it is on the left for the students. Relativists argue that surely this truth is relative to the teacher since it is false for the class. But on the contrary it is equally true for everyone that the door is on the professor's right. This is an absolute truth. The truth is equally absolute that the door was on the student's left. http://www.theopedia.com/Truth
Some things appear only to be true at some times and not at others. For example, many people once believed the world to be flat. Now we know that truth statement was wrong. It would seem that this truth has changed with the times. Or has it? Did the truth change, or did beliefs about what is true change? Well, certainly the world did not change from a box to a sphere. What changed in this regard is our belief, not our earth. It changed from a false belief to a true one - James F. Harris, Against Relativism.
If relativism were true, then the world would be full of contradictory conditions. For if something is true for me but false for you, then opposite conditions exist. For if I say "There is milk in the refrigerator" and you say "there is not any milk in the refrigerator" - and we both are right, then there must both be and not be milk in the refrigerator at the same time and in the same sense. But that is impossible. So, if truth were relative, then an impossible would be actual. Norman L. Geisler and Winfried Corduan, Philosophy of Religion.
If truth is relative, then no one is ever wrong - even when they are. As long as something is true to me, then I'm right even when I'm wrong. The drawback is that I could never learn anything either, because learning is moving from a false belief to a true one - that is, from an absolutely false belief to an absolutely true one. The truth is that absolutes are inescapable. http://www.theopedia.com/Truth
Suppose I said “Pizza taste bad” and my wife said “Pizza taste good”. While both are truth statements both are also contradictory. Not so, because we are different people with different tastes, both can be truth statements as neither are statements of absolutes, rather statements of preferences or opinions.
Below is the list of seven fatal flaws of relativism from Francis J. Beckwith and Gregory Koukl, in their book, Relativism.
- Can’t accuse others of wrong doing.
- Can’t complain about the problem of evil.
- Can’t place blame or praise.
- Can’t make charges of unfairness or injustice.
- Can’t improve on morality.
- Can’t hold meaningful discussions about right and wrong.
- Can’t promote tolerance, as this is a moral position.
Answering the Relativist
Relativism is extremely empty and most importantly it is indefensible. Most of us should be able to expose its flaws within just a few minutes. Below is a list of popular phrases or questions from relativists and some of the ways we can respond when we here them.
It’s true for me but not for you.
- If my belief is only true for me, then your belief is only true for you, but you’re saying you want me to believe what you believe, "that it's true for me but not you".
- So if I said my wife was pregnant and she said she was not pregnant, both those statements could be true?
- You say no claim is true for everyone but you want everyone to believe your claim that, nothing is universally true.
- So if I don’t believe gravity is true, will that send me floating into outer space, or is gravity true for everyone?
Who are you to judge others?
- That’s a statement of judgment …he’s judging others for judging others.
- So in your judgment, we shouldn’t judge others?
- Why is judging other's behavior like rape wrong?
- In your judgment is abusing animals wrong?
- Should we judge people for murder? So you are judgmental.
Reality is an illusion.
- Then isn’t that statement an illusion and therefore not true?
- So you’re saying I don’t need to look before crossing the street because the cars are just an illusion?
- Would you run from a charging grizzly bear? Why?
Christians are intolerant of others.
- Since we can only tolerate what we believe to be false…what does it mean to be intolerant?
- Are you saying I have to agree with you to be tolerant of your view?
- Aren’t you being intolerant towards my intolerance?
- Should we be tolerant towards people who kill elephants for their tusks?
You have no right to convert others to your views.
- Aren’t you converting me to your view, that I shouldn’t convert others?
- Should we convert animal abusers?
Your values are right for you, but not for me.
- Moral relativism is unlivable because there would be no grounds to imprison people. It would not distinguish between Hitler and Mother Teresa.
- So if my values were to abuse animals for fun, would you be okay with that?
- If rape is a value I hold, are you ok with that?
- Do you want rapists put in jail even though their morals may be right for them?
Who are you to say another culture’s values are wrong or impose your values?
- So we shouldn’t impose our values on Muslims men for honor killings?
- Should we have respected the South’s right to own slaves?
- So we shouldn’t advise Brazil to stop destroying the Amazon jungle?
- Aren’t you imposing your values “that you shouldn’t impose your values” on me?
Christianity excludes too many other views.
- What’s your view? Isn’t that exclusive?
- You believe all religions lead to god, doesn’t that exclude my view that only my religion leads to God or the atheists view that no religion leads to God.
- All truth is exclusive; 2+2=4 excludes all other views. What's you view?
All religions lead to the same God.
- Violates the Law of non-contradiction
- Jesus said love your enemies…Mohammed said kill your enemies. Both lead to God?
- Jesus said “I am the way”…Buddha said “meditation is the way.” Both lead to God?
- Bible says, “In the beginning God created”…Bhagavad Gita says the universe is eternal with no beginning. Both are correct?
Truth is relative.
- If truth is relative then that statement is relative and therefore not entirely true.
- If truth is relative why do you stop at a red light, why not believe that they are all green?
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds…. 2 Timothy 3:1-8
Articles
A Response to Philosophical Postmodernism Norman Geisler
Has Post Modernism Killed Truth Craig Branch
How do We Know Epistemology Apologetics Resource Center