Who determines truth? Is there such a thing as objective truth or are all claims subjective in nature? Join Rose Rider, Daniel Fitzsimmons, and Sean Finnegan as they discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly about relativism before bringing in a biblical perspective to help you think through this critical issue.
Relativism is veiling a deeper dilemma in our culture. I stand today knowing without my biblical upbringing and the need to seek the Bible more independently, I too would easily slip into the idea that nothing is absolute. Trust came up a couple times in this podcast which caught my attention. I steadfastly trust in the Lord. Even when I feel myself wavering away because I am a human comprised by emotions, I am drawn back to my Anchor of Hope and Trust like a metal anchor holds a ship from floating off into the darkness of the sea. Where in our society can people turn to in order to have this kind of trust? We are products of our environments and unless a childhood was built on trust, it can be difficult to fully grasp how faithful God is to us. And even if a child lives in a home built on trust there will come a day in which someone or something will shatter his/her glass walls of trust. Only God can give us the kind of trust that no man can shatter. The reason relativism is so easy to slip into is because more often than not people don’t fully know what it means to trust in authority: government lies and fails us; parents aren’t perfect; school systems favor certain kinds of students; bosses and colleagues aren’t faithful and gossip…etc. In order to feel loved, accepted and part of something “bigger” or “better” people will form an identity, as you have mentioned in previous posts, from how the world has scripted them. This identity is not based on firm truths that have stood the test of time, as our 2,000 year old guidelines from God has, so when it comes to comparing ideas or opinions on subjects it is more acceptable to see life, in general, as relative than as anything as complete truth. I think deep down, many people can’t even trust themselves because they have such rooted trust-phobia (and may not even realize it) so they see all truths as being true or possible because there can be no one answer. There can be no one true being or knowledge to anchor their trust in. It seems as if everyone is floating out at sea because they have not anchored themselves down with God’s trust, so they are bumping into to each other and apologizing for being in the way of their beliefs (political, religious, sexual, etc.) because this is how they receive acceptance in the sea. It’s natural for us to want to be accepted which is why relativism is a strong force in our culture. Everyone has a viewpoint and some voices are much louder than others and those are the voices get followed. 1 John 4:5 “They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.” We need to be mindful of all the viewpoints we encounter and which viewpoint is the one to trust as we form our ideas and identities in this world.
And Dan, I don’t know why you can’t boil a calf in its mother’s milk. You think people would just know to not do this, but obviously some guy tried it and God had to make a point to address it.
This was another great podcast Sean, Rose and Dan. You have made light on some subtle issues that Christians are immersed in daily and can easily get washed away at sea with.
Relativism is veiling a deeper dilemma in our culture. I stand today knowing without my biblical upbringing and the need to seek the Bible more independently, I too would easily slip into the idea that nothing is absolute. Trust came up a couple times in this podcast which caught my attention. I steadfastly trust in the Lord. Even when I feel myself wavering away because I am a human comprised by emotions, I am drawn back to my Anchor of Hope and Trust like a metal anchor holds a ship from floating off into the darkness of the sea. Where in our society can people turn to in order to have this kind of trust? We are products of our environments and unless a childhood was built on trust, it can be difficult to fully grasp how faithful God is to us. And even if a child lives in a home built on trust there will come a day in which someone or something will shatter his/her glass walls of trust. Only God can give us the kind of trust that no man can shatter. The reason relativism is so easy to slip into is because more often than not people don’t fully know what it means to trust in authority: government lies and fails us; parents aren’t perfect; school systems favor certain kinds of students; bosses and colleagues aren’t faithful and gossip…etc. In order to feel loved, accepted and part of something “bigger” or “better” people will form an identity, as you have mentioned in previous posts, from how the world has scripted them. This identity is not based on firm truths that have stood the test of time, as our 2,000 year old guidelines from God has, so when it comes to comparing ideas or opinions on subjects it is more acceptable to see life, in general, as relative than as anything as complete truth. I think deep down, many people can’t even trust themselves because they have such rooted trust-phobia (and may not even realize it) so they see all truths as being true or possible because there can be no one answer. There can be no one true being or knowledge to anchor their trust in. It seems as if everyone is floating out at sea because they have not anchored themselves down with God’s trust, so they are bumping into to each other and apologizing for being in the way of their beliefs (political, religious, sexual, etc.) because this is how they receive acceptance in the sea. It’s natural for us to want to be accepted which is why relativism is a strong force in our culture. Everyone has a viewpoint and some voices are much louder than others and those are the voices get followed. 1 John 4:5 “They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.” We need to be mindful of all the viewpoints we encounter and which viewpoint is the one to trust as we form our ideas and identities in this world.
And Dan, I don’t know why you can’t boil a calf in its mother’s milk. You think people would just know to not do this, but obviously some guy tried it and God had to make a point to address it.
This was another great podcast Sean, Rose and Dan. You have made light on some subtle issues that Christians are immersed in daily and can easily get washed away at sea with.