We are told that we live in a postmodern world. At the heart of postmodernism is its abandonment of objective truth and reality. Objectivism, the belief that truth and values exist independently of our perceiving them or believing them, is declared by postmodernism to be an outmoded, unrealizable ideal.
William Lane explains why this makes it so difficult to talk about one’s faith: “The postmodernist is not merely saying that we cannot know with certainty which religious world view is true and we must therefore be open-minded; rather he maintains that none of the religious worldviews is objectively true, and therefore none can be excluded in deference to the allegedly one true religion.”
We tend to adopt this relativistic approach to things at our convenience, to suit our tastes and choices. Relativism asserts that all knowledge is simply a particular way of looking at things that has merit or value to the person or group who view it that way. If we evaluate truth claims at all it is usually along two criteria: does it make sense (from our reference point)? and does it work? The question that is not asked – not even allowed – is whether it is true. Does it correspond to objective reality?
While we are not consistent in this orientation, the important questions of life regarding meaning, purpose, values, and God are reduced to choices from a smorgasboard of options. Chinese food or French cuisine, Jesus or Nostradamus, permed or straight, life or death; they are all the same. In other words, what you choose does not matter – only your freedom in choosing. In so doing we have begged the question about truth and God and made ourselves the terminus quo of any search for meaning.
We certainly must choose what we will believe and how we will live, but our prerogatives do not define what is true. Are there and can there be multiple diverse truths? If there are, which one should prevail? The one with the most adherents? Diverse (contradictory) truths are only possible if we redefine truth, as postmodernists do, to mean point of view. As historian Mary Lefkowitz noted, “The option of diversity does not extend to objective truth!”
Open-mindedness is of great value in examining various claims to truth but it is neither helpful nor open-minded to close oneself off from pursuing and discovering real truth. Jesus spoke these words to God, “Your word is truth.” Jesus was either correct or He was mistaken. Neither your view of it nor mine determines it.
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by Dr. J. Patrick Curtis, Senior Pastor
Valley Bible Church
851 Fairview Terrace
White River Junction, VT
Sponsored by Valley Bible Church
Published in the Valley News Tuesday, February 8 , 2005
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