INTRODUCTION TO TRUTHS

But first a funny clip…http://www.sermonspice.com/videos/722/evangelism-linebacker--no-excuses

TODAY’S MENU Appetizer:

Truth…does it exist?…. Main Course:

What is Truth?Aristotle’s Cave

Dessert:P.E.C. Questions

WHAT IS TRUTH? What is Truth?

http://www.sermonspice.com/videos/7/what-is-absolute-truth

ARE YOU A RELATIVIST? Need a volunteer….

Absolute Truths: unchanging truths “stealing is wrong”

Relativism -= always comparing two situations “stealing is wrong, but if don’t hurt anyone

its okay”…which in essence is still absolute

“THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS ABSOLUTE TRUTH. WHAT’S TRUE FOR YOU MAY NOT

BE TRUE FOR ME.”

“THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS ABSOLUTE TRUTH.”

1. Isn’t that, in itself, a statement that’s being made absolutely? it applies some rule or standard to everyone

across the board...which is exactly what they are arguing against

2. Let`s apply this “relative” thinking?do you think that child pornography is right or wrong?

Isn’t it wrong? A relativist cannot think so.....

Wait ..wait “As long as you’re not hurting others, you’re free to do and believe what you like

Who says I can’t hurt anyone?...its a universal dignity....where does universal dignity come from

WHY ARE HESITANT OR AFRAID OF BELIEVING IN ABSOLUTE TRUTH?

One day a student approached me after class. He reminded me that I had mentioned moral law during the lecture, then said “Last semester I learned that there isn’t any moral law. Every society makes up its own right and wrong, its own good and bad, its own fair and unfair — and each one makes up something different.”

I answered, “It’s a relief to hear you say that, because I’m lazy and I hate grading papers. At the end of the semester I’ll be able to save myself some work by giving you an F without looking at your papers at all. Since you don’t believe in moral standards like fairness that are true for everyone, I know you won’t object. “

He shot me a startled glance — then admitted that there are true moral standards after all.

TRUTH… How do we reach truth?

Through reason Becoming more aware of the absolute

truth

Does non-material truth exist?Love?Human dignity?Protection of children?

Plato’s Allegory of the Cave

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6KVHMU3gb8

LET’S APPLY THIS TRUTH TO RELIGION

A student may challenge me in saying “All scientific truths are facts, material facts but you cannot have knowable truths when it comes to religion and faith.”

Response: Yes opinions exist, and one can have faith in such things that aren’t connected to a knowable truth. Take a look at the Christian faith and talk about absolutes for example…

-  Josephus A Godman came to earth, ministered,

died and three days later rose again

-   Historical truths (you may use this as a means to defend the Resurrection based on the women’s testimonies and the death of believers…if necessary)

-   The faith aspect of it comes into play when one chooses to follow Christ

-   The strength of the Christian story lies in the historical event= a knowable truth

St. Paul tells Christians that if the historical truths did not happen to go and find something else to follow because the Christian story will not survive otherwise

HTTP://WWW.SERMONSPICE.COM/VIDEOS/3887/PRAYER-COUNTDOWN--FAITH--HOPE--AND-LOVE

BREAK

QUOTE ACTIVITY: 5 MINS.

“ Art, like morality consists of drawing a line somewhere.” G. K. Chesterton

1. What does Chesterton convey to be the definition of morality?

2. In your own words, how would you describe morality?

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT GOD?

GOD is…Love Justice TRUTH

If morality is based on truth then morality is objective/absolute NOT subjective

Truth comes from God therefore it cannot be changed

ETHICS & MORALITY CONT’D

Ethics like understanding musical theory and knowing how to read the music.

Morality is like playing music and hitting the right notes.

Morality refers to the stands by which we judge our actions to be good or evil

CHRISTIANITY IS NOT MERELY A MORALITY

Christian morality is unique

For example... Humanism is a moral system that denies belief in God and views humanity as the highest form of existence

Christian morality understands that by worshipping God Father, Son and Holy Spirit that we discover the correct moral approach

CHRISTIAN MORALITY Pharisees and Jesus

Promote a new way of living- an invitation

Morality is not man made Its origins are in the God’s revelation

PERSONAL REFLECTION What is a good life?

What is authentic happiness? How do you achieve it?

WHY? WHY? WHY? Why should we study ethics and

morality?

Since 1960(stats from USA not able to find Canadian stats)

  500% increase in violent crimes 400% increase in out-of-wedlock births Tripled number of children living in single-parent

homes Tripled number of teenage suicide Doubled divorce rates

But why else??

HERE IS WHY ELSE? It allows us to have direction, meaning and

coherence in our lives. Without principles we are unable to fully enjoy happiness.

As teens, you are in the process of making the moral decisions for yourselves

There are knowable truths of where to draw the line, of what is right and what is wrong.

Our actions speak to who we are…we are

Christians…our actions should reflect Christ

OPTIONAL …SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT Metaphysical relativism= no

absolutes in reality – means Metaphysical deals with time, truth,

existence Assuming God means a Being Therefore this view = atheism (a-without,

theism=God) because God cannot Be if nothing is absolute

Epistemological Relativism= perhaps there is a metaphysical absolute but there are no absolutes in human knowledgeEpistemology [ih-pis-tuh-mol-uh-jee]-

human knowledge Means agnosticism

SOME SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT Moral relativism- there maybe

absolutes in nonmoral knowledge like 2+2=5

ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF ABSOLUTE TRUTHS

Ex. 500 years ago I could I said the sun rises in the East and sets in the West. But you say the sun isn’t moving but the earth is moving and the sun is fixed. Based on my experience and knowledge what you say is difficult to understand yet you may be right.

Now we know that the sun being fixed is indeed correct but my theory appeared to be correct based on my experience (subjective reality)

Therefore, the truth (objective reality) did not change but our perspective (validity) changed.