By Bob Perry
I have shown that truth, goodness, and beauty are objective properties of the world we live in. I hope those three articles have been of interest to you. Please don’t go thinking that what you are about to read are unimportant doctrines or viewpoints. They are not. We are living in a post-truth culture. And yet it is a place where the nature and qualities of truth, goodness, and beauty are of the utmost importance. Our view of objective truth completely affects the way we live our lives. It is the antidote to moral relativism. Truth is important. And understanding the depth of this simple fact will radically change the way you interact with the world. Here is why.
But is faith belief without evidence? Is it something else? Here are the Top Five Reasons Why Faith Is Not What You Think It Is.
The assumptions of culture
Consider the three values I’ve been talking about. And remember the way others often talk about them: Truth — “That may be true for you, but not for me.” Goodness — “Don’t try to impose your moral standards on me!” Beauty — “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Despite thousands of years of human knowledge and experience, modern-day culture has made each of these values subjective. They have suddenly become things we decide for ourselves. In fact, if you were to say that the concepts for each of these values are not subjective, you would be treated as an arrogant, oppressive Neanderthal who wants to impose his personal values on the rest of the world. Who do you think you are to do that?!
The world is upside down
We live in cultural relativism. The place where we are expected to accept the idea that any individual’s opinion on any subject is equally valid. And remember that awkward definition of truth as “what corresponds to reality”? It’s a thing of the past. The new normal is that our highest aspiration is to “be true to ourselves .” But what exactly does that mean?
Follow your heart
When your standard for truth and virtue is the person you see in the bathroom mirror, you don’t need much imagination to know what’s next. Feelings rule. You’re encouraged to “follow your heart.” And following your heart means you evaluate reality by relying on emotions rather than using reason and logic. If it feels good, do it. “If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad…” Sherlyl Crow. Living according to reality has become passé. An archaic obstacle. But there’s a problem with that. And the problem is that “persistent belief in something that doesn’t fit reality” is called delusion. Our culture has embedded delusion into the arts. Our culture has elevated delusion to an art form.
Philosophy is about the real world
It turns out that all this discussion of truth, goodness, and beauty goes beyond a pastime of self-absorbed philosophers. These ideas have consequences in the real world. Ideas are always put into practice. Good or bad, we live in a world where those ideas will be put into practice. And so we see the consequences of erroneous beliefs about state policies and about the families and relationships of community members on which our politics depend. We hear about it on the news—and also in the false rumors that are generated on both sides of the political spectrum. We suffer the repercussions for denying the reality of the economic situation of the country. And our children and grandchildren will pay—in the broadest literal sense—the price for these deliberate delusions. Above all, we see it in the glorification of sexual autonomy that has infiltrated every corner of our culture. The denial of reality is at the core of issues such as abortion, sexual licentiousness, transsexualism, and homosexual behavior. Defending each of them can only be chronic madness.
Faith communities are not immune
The Church is certainly not immune to the corrosive acid of bad reasoning. The Word of Faith Movement, Universalism, and so-called “progressive” Christianity are proof that you can find nonsensical nonsense. And each of these social ills has found ways to creep into the church. When we strip away the window dressing, we see that the problems in our culture are not new. In fact, they are as old as humanity itself. The rejection of truth, goodness, and beauty began soon after we arrived on the scene. The fall of man was the first moment where human beings used their free will to exchange God’s truth for a lie. Since then, we have only expanded the boundaries of that futile exercise. The good news is that the antidote to bad reasoning remains the same. Seek truth in all its forms. Then align your life with it. The Church should never be a safe space for bad ideas. It should be a place where people are treated with kindness and respect, but also a place where corrupt reasoning ceases to exist. Bob Perry is a Christian apologist who writes, teaches, and speaks on the subject of Christianity and culture at truehorizon.org . He is a senior writer for the Christian Research Journal and has also written articles for Touchstone , and Salvo . Bob is a professional pilot with 37 years of experience in military and commercial aviation. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the US Naval Academy , and a Master of Science degree in Christian Apologetics from Biola University . He has been married to his high school sweetheart since 1985. Their five children are grown.
Recommended resources in Spanish:
Stealing from God ( Paperback ), ( Teacher Study Guide ), and ( Student Study Guide ) by Dr. Frank Turek
Why I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist ( Complete DVD Series ), ( Teacher’s Workbook ), and ( Student’s Handbook ) by Dr. Frank Turek
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Bob Perry is a Christian apologetics writer, teacher, and speaker who blogs about Christianity and culture at truehorizon.org. He is a contributing writer to the Christian Research Journal, and has also been published in Touchstone, and Salvo. Bob is a professional aviator with 37 years of experience in military and commercial flight. He holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and an MS in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. He has been married to his high school sweetheart since 1985. They have five grown children.
Original source of the blog: https://bit.ly/3Q6FQSi
Translated by Jennifer Chavez
Edited by Monica Pirateque
