Many recent statistics have shown how there is an increasing number of people, especially young people, who reject absolute truth. There are even a growing number of professing Christians who also deny absolute truth. These statistics are alarming, but it is suspect whether the average person even knows what the term “absolute truth” means. There are many terms that tend to be used in conversation without being clearly defined. Perhaps if they were, then maybe the statistics would look different. Why is the nature truth such an important matter to get right? Because ideas have consequences and false ideas, especially in regard to the truth about Christianity, have eternal consequences. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Apart from faith in Christ there is no salvation (Acts 4:12). People are led astray into believing that it doesn’t matter what religion you hold to because it is true if you believe it to be. This is far from the truth and leads people away from Christ who is the only way to heaven. This false idea that is raised against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5) needs to be destroyed. This post will first explain the meaning of terms related to the concept of truth. Secondly, the view that rejects absolute truth known as “epistemological relativism” will be refuted.
Truth
Truth is when a proposition matches up with reality. Truth is telling it as it really is. Truth is what is.[1] In technical terms, truth is when a truth-bearer stands in an appropriate correspondence relation to a truth-maker.[2] A truth-bearer is a proposition. A proposition is the content of a sentence/statement or thought/belief that is either true or false.[3]For example, “I am hungry” and “Estoy hambriento” are two sentences in different languages that express the same proposition. Truth-makers are what make propositions true. Truth-makers are facts. A fact is the way the world actually is or the state of affairs[4]. Some examples of truth-makers are: grass is green, the earth is a sphere, and the 1+1=2. The state of affairs in the world “makes” the proposition of a statement true only if the state of affairs actually is the way the proposition states it to be. For example, if I actually were hungry, this would make the proposition “I am hungry” true. However, if I actually were not hungry, this would make the proposition “I am hungry” false. Suppose Bob were to say, “Patrick is hungry” without actually knowing whether or not I was. It would still be the case that I was hungry if I actually was hungry. Reality makes a proposition true or false, and not beliefs. A correspondence relation is a two-placed relation between two things[5]. In the case of truth, it is when a proposition matches, conforms to, or corresponds with the state of affairs.
Absolute Truth
Absolute truth also known as “objective truth” means true independent of what people think. It depends upon the nature of the object. People’s beliefs do not change whether something is actually true or not. For example, it is objectively true that the earth is round, even if people believe otherwise. It matches the way that things actually are and is grounded in the external world. Philosopher, J.P. Moreland states according to absolute truth, “people discover the truth, they do not create it, and a claim is made true or false in some way or another by reality itself, totally independent of whether the claim is accepted by everyone.”[6] Absolute truths apply to all people, at all times and places. It is true for all people no matter their religion, subculture, nationality, beliefs, and opinions. It is true at all times, no matter how far you go into the past or into the future – an absolute truth remains the same. It is true no matter the place in which it is stated, whether it be anywhere on land, the sea, or the sky. It is also important to note that absolute truth conforms to the First Principles of Logic, which are also absolute truths[7]. The Law of Identity says that a proposition is identical to itself and different from other things. The Law of Non-Contradiction says that a proposition cannot be both true and false at the same time and sense. The Law of Excluded Middle says that a proposition is either true or false and it cannot be both. We can use these tools to acquire knowledge of additional truths about the world.
Relative Truth
The claim that truth is relative can mean either of two things. Firstly, that truth is relative to time and space[8]. Whether or not a proposition is true depends upon the time and situation in which it was said. There was something that was true in the past, but not true now. There was something true in a particular state of affairs, but not true in the current state of affairs. For example, the relativist might claim “Obama is the president of the United States” is a relative truth because it was true from the year 2009 to 2017, but it isn’t true now. Secondly, truth is relative to persons. This is the most common way in which the term is used. Relative truth used in this sense is also known as “subjective truth.” Whether or not something is true depends upon the beliefs of persons or cultures[9]. Something can be true for one person or culture but not for another person or culture. For example, “Chocolate ice cream is the best flavor.” This claim is only true or false depending upon whoever accepts or rejects it. An example of subjective truth pertaining to culture is “it is polite to kiss someone on the cheek when you greet them.” In one culture it might be considered polite, but in another, it is considered impolite. More examples can be given of relative truths that appear to be valid, but some believe that all truths are relative. This view is irrational but very pervasive in our culture, which I will spend the remainder of the post defining and refuting.
Epistemological Relativism
There are those who claim that all truths are relative to the beliefs of individual persons and there are no absolute truths. This view is known as “epistemological relativism” also called “cognitive relativism” or “objective relativism.” Apologist and Founder of Reason for Truth, Steven Garofalo, defines epistemological relativism as the following, “Epistemological Relativism proclaims there are no absolutes in human knowledge – that all knowledge in relation to truth is relative to things such as time, space, culture, society of history.”[10] Whether or not anything is true depends upon the belief of the person making the claim. Something can be true for one person but false for another. It is not just that people have different beliefs about what is true or false. Rather, whether something is true or false depends upon individual perspectives and there is no correct perspective to judge others as false. For example, they may claim that Christianity might be true for one person but false for another person. Those who hold to this view claim that truth can vary for different people at the same time.
Refutation of Epistemological Relativism
- Self-Defeating Nature
- A self-defeating statement is a statement that does not meet its own standard and is therefore false[11]. To expose a self-defeating statement, you only need to apply the claim to itself. For example, the statement, “There is no such thing as truth” is itself a truth statement, and therefore the statement is false.
- Relativists claim:
- “All truth is relative to the beliefs of the person making the claim” – The relativist contradicts himself by making an absolute claim that is true independent of human opinion and applies to all people, times, and places. The apologist can expose this contradiction by asking whether that statement is absolutely true. If all truth is relative, then so would the very statement “all truth is relative to the beliefs of the person making the claim.” This claim would only be true for him and not me. But why is he trying to persuade me of that view of truth as if it applied to all people? If relativism were true, then there is no basis in claiming that one’s view is true and others are false.
- “There is no such thing as absolute truths” – They claim there are no truths that are true at all times, places, and for all persons. However, this very statement is making an absolute truth claim. The apologist can ask, “Is it absolutely true that there are no absolute truths?” If yes, then the relativist just contradicted himself. If not, then he is just sharing his own opinion and has no reason to convince me it is true. If the relativist modifies his claim to be “there are no absolute truths except for the statement that there are no absolute truths”, then is that also an absolute truth? If so, then there are now at least two absolute truths – the original statement and the new statement. The question can be pressed again and again and each new statement becomes another affirmation of absolute truth.
- Ask them for clarification
- When you say, “That’s true for you but not for me,” do you mean to say that some people believe some things to be true, whereas others believe them to be false? Or are you saying, whether or not something actually is true or false depends on what individual people believe? Reformed Theological Seminary Professor, James Anderson, recognizes this difference when he writes, “Actually, the phrase ‘true for me’ is ambiguous. It might simply mean ‘what I personally believe,’ in which case it would make sense to say, ‘That’s true for me but not for you.’ However, that wouldn’t be relativism. It would just be a recognition of the obvious fact that people have different beliefs.”[12] Relativism asserts something is made true by the act of believing it. There is a difference between truth being relative and belief being relative. One person might believe that George Washington was the first president of the United States and another person might deny that. Regardless, of what either of them believes, it is true that George Washington was the first president of the United States. The beliefs are relative to the two respective individuals, but the truth remains the same.
- Sincerely believing something is true or false doesn’t make it true or false.
- There are many who claim that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere. The claim being made is that if you sincerely believe something is true then it is true. However, what if someone were to sincerely believe that it is true that “if you sincerely believe something is true then it is true” is a false statement? Would that statement then become false or will it remain true? The statement is either true or false and it cannot be both at the same time. It is making an absolute and objective claim, which applies to all people, at all times and places irrespective of whether they agree with that statement.
- People are free to believe what they want to believe. However, their beliefs have no impact upon whether something is true or not. I can believe that Elvis Presley is still alive, but that doesn’t change the truth that he is dead. Likewise, someone can believe that Christianity is false, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is the absolute truth. In the past most people may have thought that the earth was flat, but as we gained more knowledge we learned otherwise. The earth did not turn from flat to round, rather our belief about its form changed.
- Relativity of Truth Implies Relativity of Reality
- When a person states that 1+1=2, what they are claiming is that it actually is the case that 1+1=2 is opposed to any other number. But what if a relativist says that 1+1=2, but another relativist says that 1+1 does not equal 2? The relativist stating the affirmative would mean “It is true that 1+1=2, but that truth is only relative to me but not for you.” The relativist stating the negative would mean “It is false that 1+1=2, but that falsity is only relative to me but not for you.” This would entail that 1+1 could be both equal to 2 and not 2 at the same time depending upon the perspective of the relativist, which is a contradiction. A contradictory state of affairs is impossible in the real world because it violates the Law of Non-Contradiction and the Law of Excluded Middle. Christianity is a religion that makes objective claims about reality. It declares that the Triune God exists, humanity is a fallen race, there is a heaven and a hell, Jesus Christ lived, was crucified, and resurrected in space-time history Israel 2000 years ago and Jesus will return and judge humanity. Christianity cannot be both true and not true at the same time. Either Christianity is true or it isn’t. If it is true, it is of infinite importance.
- The basis of relativism is absolute
- Many hold to relativism because they observe that people do have many different beliefs about what is true. There are many different religions and worldviews, therefore, according to them, it must be the case there is no such thing as absolute truth[13]. However, the claim, “people have different beliefs” is itself a truth that is true irrespective of human opinion and applies to all people, at all times and in all places. The relativist also believes that what logically follows from the diversity of beliefs is that truth is relative. But this supposed logical entailment is also a claim of absolute truth. The relativist is claiming it logically follows even if there are those who disagree with the logic.
- No justification for limiting relativism on truth to religion and morality
- There are some relativists who don’t believe that all truth is relative. They believe other fields such as mathematics, science, and history provide absolute truth, but not so with religion and morality[14]. For example, they might believe George Washington was the first president of the United States, the Law of Gravity is true, and 1+1=2 are absolute truths. However, what basis does that have for not believing religion and morality are also matters of absolute truth? It may be the case that there are more disagreements about morals and religions, but it doesn’t follow that therefore the truth in those areas is relative. Religions make claims about how the world really is and historical claims about what happened in space-time history. Either the Triune God exists or He doesn’t. Either Jesus Christ really was the crucified and resurrected Son of God who walked the earth 2000 years ago or he didn’t. If this central claim of Christianity is true, then it is true for all people and all times no matter what they believe.
- Relativists live inconsistently with their professed belief
- Relativists live as if truth were absolute and not relative. Their actions betray their profession. When they take multiple-choice exams in class, they assume that there is only one right answer. When they stop at a red light along with the other cars, they assume that it actually is red not just for them but also for the other cars. When they pay their bills, they assume that their balance is understood as the same amount between them and their billing company.
[1] [1] Steven Garofalo, Equipped: Basic Training in Apologetics for Evangelism, (Charlotte, NC: TriedStone Publishing Company, 2018), 27.
[2] J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 139.
[3] J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 136.
[4] [4] J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 136.
[5] [5] J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 139.
[6] J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 132.
[7] Steven Garofalo, Equipped: Basic Training in Apologetics for Evangelism, (Charlotte, NC: TriedStone Publishing Company, 2018), 27.
[8] Norman L. Geisler, When Skeptics Ask: A Handbook on Christian Evidences, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2013), 268.
[9] J. Warner Wallace, Objective Truth Is One Thing, But Objective Moral Truth Is Another, Cold Case Christianity, Wednesday, February 4, 2015. https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/objective-truth-is-one-thing-but-objective-moral-truth-is-another/
[10] Steven Garofalo, Equipped: Basic Training in Apologetics for Evangelism, (Charlotte, NC: TriedStone Publishing Company, 2018), 26.
[11] Norman L .Geisler and Frank Turek, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2004), 39.
[12] James N. Anderson, Why Should I Believe Christianity?, (Geanies House, Fearn, Tain, Ross-shire, IV20 1TW, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 2016), 18.
[13] Paul Copan, Can Something Be True For You and Not For Me?, Apologetics Resource Center, Wednesday, October 29, 2014. https://arcapologetics.org/objections/can-something-true/
[14] Paul Copan, Can Something Be True For You and Not For Me?, Apologetics Resource Center, Wednesday, (October 29, 2014) at https://arcapologetics.org/objections/can-something-true/
Defense of Faith 