Every civilization relies on a consistent moral framework to provide stability and justice within society. For some time now, the moral fabric which undergirds our society has been under attack by the secular elite. Rather than seeing immoral acts as wrong and calling them that with intentional clarity, the psychiatric class has attempted to take responsibility off of the individual and place it on their past conditioning. The Christian worldview does not try to diagnose and fix our problems. Rather it offers one gospel that saves imperfect people form their sins.
Friday, April 07, 2000
The Truth About The Truth
Ravi Zacharias
With all of the religions in the world vying for credence, how does one really know what to believe?
Friday, April 07, 2000
The Truth About The Truth
Ravi Zacharias
With all of the religions in the world vying for credence, how does one really know what to believe?
Our discussion today will unavoidably take a bit of philosophical turn, but surely we have all felt the emotions this question evokes. Let us consider, then, three tests that you can apply to a system or statement to verify its claim to truth. The first is logical consistency: Is there a logical consistency in what is being stated, or are there obvious contradictions? Many religions are actually systemically contradictory and therefore cannot be true.
The second test is empirical adequacy: Is there evidence that supports what is being asserted? The last test is experiential relevance: Does it apply meaningfully to my life? These are minimal tests for truth and should be in concert.
Some philosophers add a couple more that I think are worthy of note: The undeniability test and the unaffirmability test. What do they mean?
Take, for example, the issue of my existence. While my own existence cannot be logically proven, it is nevertheless undeniable. Have you heard the interaction between the philosophy student and her professor? "How do I know I exist?" demanded the student. "And whom shall I say is asking?" came the professor's reply. You can't help but chuckle, can you? Because you realize that at the moment that you deny your existence, you affirm it at the same time, for it is you denying that you are here to deny anything! Some things cannot be logically proven but yet cannot be denied without affirmation and therefore establish themselves as truth.
The unaffirmability test works differently. It is a test for falsehood. This simply means that just because something can be stated, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is true. "I cannot speak a word of English," may be stated emphatically, but it cannot be affirmed. For while saying, "I cannot speak a word of English," I am actually speaking seven words of English! Therefore, my statement is false. In one or two major eastern religions, for example, the self is denied, but reality exists. It is an unaffirmable position and can therefore be demonstrated to be false.
These tests can help us determine what is true. Many false claims are easily dealt with if we pause and apply some basic tools. The reassuring thing about the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that He asked us to test claims and not just to blindly follow.
Moral Relativism Self-Destructs
Moral relativists—those who deny objective morality—are vulnerable to practical suicide. For example, whenever a relativist says, "You shouldn't force your morality on other people," you could ask, "Why not?"
What will he be able to say? He certainly can't respond by saying, "It's wrong." That option is no longer open to him. It is a contradiction, like saying, "There are no moral rules; here's one." This response commits suicide.
If a relativist does say it's wrong, you may ask, "If you think it's wrong then why are you doing it yourself? Why are you pushing your morality on me right now?"
The only consistent response for a relativist is, "Pushing morality is wrong for me, but that's just my personal opinion and has nothing to do with you. Please ignore me."
C.S. Lewis observes:
As Greg Koukl said,
Greg points out that this was Paul's point in Romans 2:1 when he wrote, "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things." Paul argued that those who set up their own morality are still faulted by their own code. Their "excuse" commits suicide.
The Quarrel
Those who are quick to object that God isn't doing enough about evil in the world ("A good God wouldn't let that happen") are often equally quick to complain when God puts his foot down ("A loving God would never send anyone to Hell").
If God appears indifferent to wickedness, his goodness is challenged. Yet if he acts to punish sin, his love is in question. These objections compete with each other in most cases. They are siblings in rivalry. One or the other needs to be surrendered. Both can't be held simultaneously.
The Matter of it all
If moral laws are the product of chance, why obey them? What—or who—establishes how things are supposed to be?
In the movie The Quarrel, Rabbi Hersh challenges the secularist Chaim on this very point:
A morally perfect God is the only adequate standard for the system of scoring that makes sense of the existence of evil to begin with. Since God must exist to make evil intelligible, evil cannot be evidence against God. The complaint commits infanticide.
Ironically, evil does not prove atheism. It proves just the opposite. There can only be a problem of evil if God exists. It is a problem only a theist can raise, not an atheist. When an atheist voices the concern, he gets caught in a suicidal dilemma.
Atheism is a physicalist system that does not have the resources to explain a universe thick with nonphysical things like moral obligations. Neither can Eastern religions, by the way. If reality is an illusion, as classical Hinduism holds, then the distinction between good and evil is meaningless.
Someone like the Judeo-Christian God must exist in order to adequately account for moral laws. Theism solves the grounding problem for morality. This explains how even an atheist is capable of noble conduct: He still lives in God's world.
Freedom, Reason, and Knowledge
Determinists claim that freedom is an illusion. Each of our choices if fixed, predetermined by the circumstances that precede it. All of our "choices" are inevitable results of blind physical forces beyond our control.
The problem with this view is that without freedom, rationality would have no room to operate. Arguments would not matter, since no one would be able to base beliefs on adequate reasons. One could never judge between a good idea and a bad one. One would only hold beliefs because he had been predetermined to do so.
That's why it is odd when someone tries to argue for determinism. If determinism were true, the person would have been "determined" to believe in it (with others just as "determined" to disagree). He would have to admit that reasons don't matter and that trying to think the issue through is a waste of time.
Although it is theoretically possible that determinism is true—there is no internal contradiction, as far as I can tell—no one could ever know it if it were. Every one of our thoughts, dispositions, and opinions would have been decided for us by factors completely out of our control. Therefore, in practice, arguments for determinism are self-defeating.
These tests can help us determine what is true. Many false claims are easily dealt with if we pause and apply some basic tools. The reassuring thing about the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that He asked us to test claims and not just to blindly follow.
Moral Relativism Self-Destructs
Moral relativists—those who deny objective morality—are vulnerable to practical suicide. For example, whenever a relativist says, "You shouldn't force your morality on other people," you could ask, "Why not?"
What will he be able to say? He certainly can't respond by saying, "It's wrong." That option is no longer open to him. It is a contradiction, like saying, "There are no moral rules; here's one." This response commits suicide.
If a relativist does say it's wrong, you may ask, "If you think it's wrong then why are you doing it yourself? Why are you pushing your morality on me right now?"
The only consistent response for a relativist is, "Pushing morality is wrong for me, but that's just my personal opinion and has nothing to do with you. Please ignore me."
C.S. Lewis observes:
Whenever you find a man who says he does not believe in a real Right and Wrong, you will find the same man going back on this a moment later. He may break his promise to you, but if you try breaking one to him he will be complaining "It's not fair".... A nation may say treaties do not matter; but then, next minute, they spoil their case by saying that the particular treaty they want to break was an unfair one. But if ... there is no such thing as Right and Wrong ... what is the difference between a fair treaty and an unfair one?
As Greg Koukl said,
A person can wax eloquent with you in a discussion on moral relativism, but he will complain when somebody cuts in front of him in line. He'll object to the unfair treatment he gets at work and denounce injustice in the legal system. He'll criticize crooked politicians who betray the public trust and condemn intolerant fundamentalists who force their moral views on others.
Greg points out that this was Paul's point in Romans 2:1 when he wrote, "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things." Paul argued that those who set up their own morality are still faulted by their own code. Their "excuse" commits suicide.
The Quarrel
Those who are quick to object that God isn't doing enough about evil in the world ("A good God wouldn't let that happen") are often equally quick to complain when God puts his foot down ("A loving God would never send anyone to Hell").
If God appears indifferent to wickedness, his goodness is challenged. Yet if he acts to punish sin, his love is in question. These objections compete with each other in most cases. They are siblings in rivalry. One or the other needs to be surrendered. Both can't be held simultaneously.
The Matter of it all
If moral laws are the product of chance, why obey them? What—or who—establishes how things are supposed to be?
In the movie The Quarrel, Rabbi Hersh challenges the secularist Chaim on this very point:
If there's nothing in the universe that's higher than human beings, then what's morality? Well, it's a matter of opinion. I like milk; you like meat. Hitler likes to kill people; I like to save them. Who's to say which is better? Do you begin to see the horror of this? If there is no Master of the universe, then who's to say that Hitler did anything wrong? If there is no God, then the people that murdered your wife and kids did nothing wrong.
A morally perfect God is the only adequate standard for the system of scoring that makes sense of the existence of evil to begin with. Since God must exist to make evil intelligible, evil cannot be evidence against God. The complaint commits infanticide.
Ironically, evil does not prove atheism. It proves just the opposite. There can only be a problem of evil if God exists. It is a problem only a theist can raise, not an atheist. When an atheist voices the concern, he gets caught in a suicidal dilemma.
Atheism is a physicalist system that does not have the resources to explain a universe thick with nonphysical things like moral obligations. Neither can Eastern religions, by the way. If reality is an illusion, as classical Hinduism holds, then the distinction between good and evil is meaningless.
Someone like the Judeo-Christian God must exist in order to adequately account for moral laws. Theism solves the grounding problem for morality. This explains how even an atheist is capable of noble conduct: He still lives in God's world.
Freedom, Reason, and Knowledge
Determinists claim that freedom is an illusion. Each of our choices if fixed, predetermined by the circumstances that precede it. All of our "choices" are inevitable results of blind physical forces beyond our control.
The problem with this view is that without freedom, rationality would have no room to operate. Arguments would not matter, since no one would be able to base beliefs on adequate reasons. One could never judge between a good idea and a bad one. One would only hold beliefs because he had been predetermined to do so.
That's why it is odd when someone tries to argue for determinism. If determinism were true, the person would have been "determined" to believe in it (with others just as "determined" to disagree). He would have to admit that reasons don't matter and that trying to think the issue through is a waste of time.
Although it is theoretically possible that determinism is true—there is no internal contradiction, as far as I can tell—no one could ever know it if it were. Every one of our thoughts, dispositions, and opinions would have been decided for us by factors completely out of our control. Therefore, in practice, arguments for determinism are self-defeating.
The Conscience: Free Will
The reason we have free will is so that we may know what to do what is right. Not what we want to do, but what is contrary to our sinful nature. Sin is present so that we know what is good. God is the one who considers us to do good. God is good. And without sin He cannot demonstrate his goodness.
Resources: Tactics by Greg Koukl, chapter 8 & 9; rzim.org.
Galatians 5:17 (NIV)
For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
Resources: Tactics by Greg Koukl, chapter 8 & 9; rzim.org.
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