In a lecture at Biola University titled, Is There Truth, A Moral Law We Can All Know?,[1] Sean McDowell shared the following story that illustrates the challenges you run into when you deny the possibility of an objective, moral standard for truth.
Years ago when legendary professor and author, J.P. Moreland[2] was a student, he was going from dorm room to dorm room sharing The Four Spiritual Laws,[3] a tool for sharing your faith made popular by Bill Bright and Campus Crusade for Christ.
Moreland knocked on the door of one student and asked, “Can I share the four spiritual laws with you?”
The student willingly agreed to listen.
Moreland walked through all four spiritual laws which assume an objective moral standard for truth. He finished his presentation and the student responded, “That’s fine for you, but I have a different moral truth. I don’t believe there’s such a thing as an objective moral standard that applies to everyone. You have your truth and live accordingly, and I have mine. Nobody has a right to judge anybody when it comes to their moral actions.”
J.P. reached out his hand, shook the students hand and politely said, “Thank you so much for listening.” He walked towards the door and on the way out picked up the guy’s stereo and took off down the hall.
A “philosophical bind”
Obviously, the student went running after Moreland. When he caught up, he looked at Moreland and said, “Wait a minute. You can’t do that! That’s my stereo.”
To which Moreland wisely countered, “Oh? Maybe I didn’t understand you. I thought a minute ago you said there is no objective moral standard that applies to everybody? You have your moral truth. I have mine. And, we shouldn’t force our moral views on anyone else?
“I happen to think that if you’re an upper classman at this school and have a need for a stereo, you have the right to walk into the class of any lower classman, take their stereo and leave. Now, certainly you’re not going to force your moral views on me?”
At that moment, that student was in what is called a “philosophical bind.”
Which brings us to the third thought about truth in this series.
3. Truth is OBJECTIVE.
The word objective means “not influenced by personal opinions or feelings, but just the facts.”
In other words, truth isn’t determined by my feelings, intuitions or preferences. It is definite, definitive and conclusive. It’s not abstract or vague.
It is impartial, unbiased, unprejudiced and non-partisan. It speaks to all people in all places at all times.
Truth never speaks out of both sides of its mouth. It never caters to the crowd or a political constituency. It doesn’t say one thing to one person and something different to someone else.
Truth is always objective.
Many Christian philosophers ascribe to what has been called the “Correspondence Theory of Truth.” Here’s the definition:
The Correspondence Theory of Truth says that,
“Truth is when an idea, belief or statement matches (or corresponds with) the way the world actually is (reality).”
In other words, truth is when you describe an idea, situation or the world like it actually is. It’s when your belief lines up with reality.
If something is objective, it has correspondence with reality. Objective truth is something that is true for everyone, whether they agree with it or not.
Let’s do an experiment!
If I announce, “I no longer believe the law of gravity is true for me,” does that statement correspond with reality? Does my belief make it true?
We could conduct a simple experiment.
If I really believe my statement, am I willing to put it to the test?
A great experiment might be to jump in my White Toyota Truck and drive to the tallest building in Birmingham. (Hey, if we’re actually doing this experiment, I want a really tall building just in case my belief is proven to be false and the truth of the law of gravity is proven to correspond with reality. I’d rather not lie there and suffer. I would just as soon be one big splat. Just hedging my bets here.)
We could climb to the top of that building and I could make all kinds of declarations and affirmations about my belief that, “The law of gravity is no longer true for me.”
Believe what I will, but the moment I step off the ledge of that building, I’m going to experience what scientists call “free fall” and in a few short moments my body is going to collide with the cement or asphalt below. In case you’re wondering, the asphalt or cement always wins.
That’s objective truth.
Objective is the opposite of subjective.
If I say, “U2 is the greatest rock band of all time,” that’s a subjective statement. It’s the opinion of one man on a given day. There’s no way to measure that statement against reality. It’s a subjective statement. It’s not “my truth,” it’s simply “my opinion.” Everybody’s got one, and there’s a big difference between the two.
However, if I say, “I drive a 2015 White Toyota Tundra,” I’m now making an objective statement. You can visit the parking area of the townhome where my wife and I live, you’ll find it parked there. You can do surveillance and watch me get into the truck and exit the parking area on a daily basis. (If you don’t get arrested for stalking first.) That statement about my truck is an objective statement because it corresponds or matches with reality.
The problem with post-modernism
Postmodernism is a philosophical belief system or worldview that doesn’t necessarily deny the existence of objective truth, but denies that we can ever know it for sure, because we’re all formed by cultural forces that shape our experiences and influence the way we look at the world.
Postmodernism has taken over academia and often indicates that it’s only ignorance and pride that would ever cause an individual to say, “I know this is true.”
Postmodernists would respond, “It’s impossible to know anything for sure.” But the moment they make that statement they themselves are now making an absolute statement. Afterall, if it’s really impossible to know anything for sure, then it’s impossible for them to know it’s impossible. Right?
Al Mohler points out the problem in the postmodern world view when he writes: “Imagine a postmodern pilot and a postmodern banker. The pilot refuses to believe in the law of gravity. The banker stubbornly asserts that 2 + 2 = 5.”
Mohler continues, even the most devoted postmodernist wouldn’t trust the pilot to get them to their destination or the banker to manage their money. Because deep down we understand that any worldview that rejects every absolute or objective standard for truth will eventually end up proving itself absurd.
Trust is objective.
It corresponds to reality — to what we know to be true about the world.
Confusion on your Facebook Profile
Right now, there’s a huge discussion going on about gender in our country and around the world. For instance, in the “About” and “Basic Info” section of your Facebook Profile, the social media giant now provides you with a choice of more than 10 options when it comes to defining your gender. You read that right, 10 options. Oh, and if that’s not sufficient, they also provide a “custom” option, which expands the possibilities significantly. They even provide you with an opportunity to “choose the personal pronouns” you would like to be referred to by.
I’ll always attempt to be kind, courteous and loving to every person I interact with. I never purposefully want to be harsh, condescending, confrontational or cruel. But really?
10 options?
A custom option? For gender?
Define your personal pronouns?
Before you write me off as someone who doesn’t care and is uninformed on the issue, I’ve done a significant amount of research on the subject of gender dysphoria. I’m aware that this is an issue that a small percentage of the population struggles with.
Further, I believe every person should be loved, valued and honored. I believe that every person has rights that have been bestowed upon them by God. I also, believe you’ve never locked eyes with a person that doesn’t matter to the heart of God! Ever.
But many of the discussions and demands surrounding gender options, classifications and personal pronouns aren’t about providing truth and clarity on the subject. In fact, it seems to me that they’re only creating even more confusion, uncertainty and chaos. Sometimes it even seems that the goal is confusion and chaos.
Objective truth doesn’t cave to the demands of culture when it comes to gender. Objective truth believes in the reality of human biology. An individual who has a baby is not called a “birthing person,” she is called a woman and a mother.
Writing on a completely different subject, Flannery O’Connor aptly described the nature of truth and how completely unbiased and “insensitive” it is when she wrote:
“Truth doesn’t change according to my ability to stomach it emotionally.”
—Flannery O’Connor
She’s right. Truth is objective. Attempts at re-writing and re-inventing language doesn’t change it. Truth is what it is and it doesn’t care what you or I think.
4. Truth DOESN’T CHANGE.
Since God doesn’t change (Mal 3:6), truth doesn’t change.
Something isn’t true today and not true tomorrow. Truth is the same yesterday, today and forever, because Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8).
Culture, conventional wisdom, popular opinion, academia, news media and social media and any other number of entities may attempt to redefine and reclassify morality and truth, but truth is permanent, fixed and established.
It’s constant, lasting, enduring, timeless and eternal. Because of that, it’s always relevant, regardless. It’s never outdated or obsolete. It doesn’t expire like last week’s milk. True is reliable, sure, steadfast and always dependable.
The prophet Isaiah described the truth of God’s Word like this:
The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.
—Isa 40:8 NLT
The writer of Psalm 119 described the unchanging and eternal nature of God’s Word like this:
Standing firm in the heavens and fastened to eternity is the Word of God.
—Ps 119:89 TPT
Truth doesn’t change. It is “fastened to eternity.”
5. Truth MATTERS. It not only demands attention. It demands ACTION.
We can pretend as if we don’t get it. We can act as if we don’t understand it. We can believe the lie that if we just ignore it long enough, it will go away. We can even choose to live in denial. But truth demands action! It demands a response. What’s at stake when it comes to truth, is our freedom. In the words of Jesus:
And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
—John 8:32 NLT
We will either choose to live in truth, or we will choose to live in chains. But truth has power, and it’s power is our freedom!
We will either choose to live in truth, or
we will choose to live in chains.
Let’s review the five thoughts about truth that create a compass that provides guidance we can count on in this “post-truth” world.
- Truth ORIGINATES with GOD.
- Truth is ABSOLUTE.
- Truth is OBJECTIVE.
- Truth DOESN’T CHANGE, and,
- Truth MATTERS.
In our next post we’ll wrap up the current series on truth by looking at three ways we can actually “find what we’re looking for”. For now, why not review all five thoughts. Examine how you relate to each statement about truth. Where do you need to make adjustments and re-align with reality? Where do you need to rest, thanking God for the truth He has provided in His Word and in this world?
[1] https://youtu.be/j3EVJZEX6Bw
[2] https://www.biola.edu/directory/people/jp-moreland
[3] https://crustore.org/media/wysiwyg/pdf/Four_Spiritual_Laws_English_.pdf