Yes, that’s right. All truth is relative. It’s an easy concept for philosophers to understand; however, religious folks find such concepts hard to grasp. If you find it hard to believe, it’s time you put on your thinking cap and stop believing everything you hear.

Let me start with a few simple examples. Pick an action, any action, and ask yourself if that action is universally good or bad. Chances are the action is good in some context while bad in others. The act of taking a life is kill, execute (potentially good), or murder (bad). What some might call execute, others will call murder; same action, different perspectives.

Another example is intercourse. It can be legitimate (if within a marriage or as accepted by society), adultery/fornication (if outside a marriage); again, same action, different perspectives.

Even in science, absolutes are rare. Facts sometimes are not facts, and all scientific facts are hinged on certain assumptions. As long as those assumptions hold up, the facts will remain intact. Once any of the assumptions is false, the fact simply becomes a theory. A simple example is “1 + 1 = 2”. People would say that “facts are facts” and “opinions are opinions”; they would then say that “1 + 1 will always equal 2” to validate that theory. Guess what? 1+1 is not always 2. For that answer to be true, the assumption must be that the numbers are decimal-based; in binary system, 1 + 1 = 10 (one-zero, not ten). All of a sudden, “1+1” doesn’t automatically equal 2.

Why is this concept important to understand? Those who choose to absolutely believe in their religions will argue that this concept is wrong, mainly because their deity or holy book told them that specific things are absolutely right or wrong. Given the number of religions/beliefs in the world and an even larger number of sects within each religion, it’s no coincidence that the clashing of these absolute beliefs usually result in violence or persecution. Many battles and wars have been waged and devastation wrought based on these ideologies.

I expect some Christian readers to contend that this concept is false. Their reason is simple: Bible speaks in absolutes and they trust the Bible; hence, there are absolute truths. While I’ll defer Biblical interpretations to another article, I must explain to them that they are wrong. Why? For them to be right, they would have to be omniscient. If they aren't omniscient, then, they don’t know everything and as a result, they cannot prove that they are correct; they can only believe they are correct.

When it comes to absolutes, only facts (and not beliefs) are needed. When it comes to religion, about half of the “facts” are opinions, based on experiences, beliefs, and readings. A quarter of the “facts” are historical events that have been tailored to suit the specific religion. Only about a quarter are actual facts that can be proven.

Another important tidbit, from a religious perspective, is that all religions have their individual concepts of reward (heaven) and punishment (hell), and requirements for getting there; in many cases, the core requirements are different. The followers of each religion need to understand that if the requirements for heaven are different for each religion, there’s a big chance they all have different deities.

As such, the truths given by each deity are relative to those deities. So, if one deity’s truth is that “all living things are sacred” and another deity’s truth is that “man is above other living organisms”, there shouldn't be outburst between the followers about which truth is correct. They should all accept that their version of the truth is correct.

Obviously, since there can only be one Supreme Being, it stands to reason that all the other deities will be found to be false. However, it’s not our job to prove one right and others wrong (since we are not omniscient); all we need to do is continue with our faith and hope we are right. The deity to whom the universe belongs will be the one whose truth is the absolute truth, not because it is the absolute truth, but because it’s his/her universe, and he will reveal himself whenever he desires to do so. If your deity is truly the creator of the universe, he shouldn't need mere humans to fight for him.

So, next time you are in a situation where these “absolute” truths present themselves, remember that those truths are relative to him who made the rules. My favorite way of answering such questions is this: just as many things in nature, it depends.

Written by: General Zod

http://www.infonubia.com/2013/12/all-truth-is-relative-another-look-at.html

u ar ''absolute''ly correct

liloelawwal: u ar ''absolute''ly correct

hahaha....like that.

,,,

infonubia:
When it comes to absolutes, only facts (and not beliefs) are needed. When it comes to religion, about half of the “facts” are opinions, based on experiences, beliefs, and readings. A quarter of the “facts” are historical events that have been tailored to suit the specific religion. Only about a quarter are actual facts that can be proven.

Very true. Most of the religious fights are born out of a desire to impose one's "truth" on others.

tnature:

Very true. Most of the religious fights are born out of a desire to impose one's "truth" on others.

Wondering if it's possible to explain our faith with less reference to the Holy books.

op.

lets take it this way: someone says you are correct in the op, that truth is relative.

but I say you are wrong, truth is absolute.

I ask: are both of us saying the truth?

2. You told someone that what is ontop of your neck is called a head and another says its a lie, that it is hand.

Are both parties correct, have the truth?

3. someone agrees Jesus is a white, but another says he is a black.

Do both have the truth?

4. if someone says Jesus is the almighty and another says never.

are both with the truth?

Truth is truth. it is not relarive but absolute.

If Jesus is not the almighty, then he isnt at the same time the almighty.

Those two statements cant all be true.

If something is black and you insist it is white, the insistence doesnt change the TRUE color of the object. it only means that one of the party do not know the truth about the object's color. No amount o argument will change the true color. the color is there, so you keep searching to find it. If you dont want to accept the true color cos of some private reasons, then you changed nothing cos the color remains the color.

If you say that a head is a hand cos it doesnt sit well with you to call it a head, will that change the head to a hand?

If someone says for eg that 'mary born child Jesus on xmas day, ie dec 25th', and another says it isnt the date of his birth. will that insistence on 25th go back and change history of the real truth?

If someone says God hates honosexuality, and another says He likes it, does it mean the two persons are correct?

Can God hate it and like it at the same time?

someone says life came thru evolution. another says its a lie. are both persons with the truth? If life came thru evolution, assuming this is REALLY what happened, will any argument to the contra change that truth?

It is illogical to say truth is relative.

Lets revert, I said you are wrong by saying truth is relative well, another says you are correct. Now, which is the truth? both assertions?

Muse over it. luv yah.

(pls whatever I said here is just an eg to portray my point, I dont mean to start a debate that derails the thread).