Which Side Are YOU On – Absolute Truth or Relative Truth?

Let’s talk about ‘human nature’ and the concept of Now!

I recently received a CD from my lovely sister on the issue of absolute truth vs relative truth. My sister attends a Primitive Baptist Church in Ohio which preaches that absolute truth is their doctrine and that each member of their church is one of the Saints which have been ‘saved’. One of the senior pastor’s of this church, whose message was presented on this CD, described ‘truth’ as absolute… and implied that he was presenting this absolute ‘truth’ as he spoke. Does this pastor understand reality and human nature or is he deceived and unaware of his deception? Let’s talk human nature…as we experience it based on my model of NOW.

What is my model of ‘human nature’? Personally, I would maintain that every person on this planet…we now have some 6.8 billion people on planet Earth…experiences ‘truth’ as a relative concept. In other words, there is no ‘absolute’ truth being spoken on this planet and this can be demonstrated by observing ‘human nature’ in the now. First of all, let’s differentiate between ‘seeking’ absolute truth and ‘enunciating’ absolute truth. Many of us ‘seek’ absolute truth and personally I am one who is always ‘seeking’. But can I (or you) ‘enunciate’ absolute truth in the now? First of all, let’s define what we mean by ‘absolute’ truth.

Absolute Truth (capital T) could be described as God’s Truth or also the Truth of Science or the Truth of Experience. Let’s first talk about God’s Truth. Does God (a spirit being) speak to us directly as a flesh and blood person…who is now living on this planet? In other words, is God on this planet (now) and if so can he/she get on TV and speak to us? Personally, I would suggest that God is not on this planet (now) and, therefore, God can not get on TV and speak his/her Truth to us (some 6.8 billion on this planet). The next logical question is: Can the pastor of this Primitive Baptist Church speak directly for God and enunciate the absolute words and the meanings of words…which he claims are absolute words of God?

Does this pastor have the knowledge, awareness, consciousness, and perfection to enunciate any absolute truth about reality or God? Does his preaching in front of an audience of Saints (all believers in and of his enunciations) mean that he is presenting absolute truth to his Saints? Does his reading of words in a book (called the Bible) provide him with absolute meanings and a direct enunciation of absolute truth (God’s truth)? Or is this pastor (and all pastor’s on this planet) really just presenting their relative interpretations and their relative enunciations of what they think (in their own fallible minds) is the absolute truth? What is reality and what is deception (being promulgated as reality)?

One important concept to internalize at this time is the concept of NOW. I would maintain that reality and/or truth is lived and experienced in the NOW. This means that what we present (right now) must be absolute if this concept is to have any meaning. Each of us, lives and experiences reality as…successive moments of now. Even our views of the past and/or the future are NOW experiences or now visualizations. My model says that we can not escape the NOW when we enunciate our concepts of ‘absolute’ truth. If this is valid, then each pastor or presenter of ‘absolute’ truth, needs to be aware that they are claiming to present ‘absolute’ truth (right now). Is this possible given our history and the reality of ‘human nature’ (right now)?

Can any person (pastor or otherwise) get on TV (right now) and maintain that their enunciations about God, scripture, words in a book called the Bible (with hundreds of different translations), or their descriptions of human behavior and the morality of human actions…are absolute? Who can get on TV and present absolute truth to the rest of the global population (right now) with conviction and certainty of belief?. If you have the name of one person (on this planet) with this capability, then you need to get this person on TV and have this person tell us all the absolute truth about reality, God, and the future. This person needs to be labeled (on their forehead) with the words: I am God! or I am Christ (the perfect one)! Who is willing to accept this type of label on their forehead (right now)?

My model of reality is based on the concept of NOW. I also view the NOW as a reality which none of us can escape during our enunciations, teachings, observations, or preaching. Personally, I am not capable or able to present absolute truth (capital T} to anyone (not even to myself). When I look in the mirror, do I see an absolute truth face or a relative face (with uncertainties)? Do I see absolute perfection or partial imperfection? Do I see a Saint (capital S) or a Sinner (someone with imperfections)?

Do I see a Problem child (who must overcome) or a Solution child (who has all the answers)? Do I see a fallen Angel (less then God) or a perfect Angel (equal with God)? Do I see Christ-like perfection (the example for all humanity) or a lesser perfection (an equality with everyone else)? Do I witness a person with a relative point-of-view (which changes over time) or do I witness a person with an absolute point-of-view (changeless over time)? What is reality and what is deception (right now)?

What about the truth of Science? Can a person of Science enunciate absolute truth (capital T)? What about a philosopher person who observes experiences of people in the marketplace? Can either of these person types enunciate absolute truth? Does Science know why or how life emerged (with absolute knowledge)? Do they know what the definition of ‘life’ might be with certainty?

Does Science know where ideas or consciousness derives from? Does a person of Science or a person of Experience know (with certainty) what events will happen at some future moment of now? Do they know how our planet is held in space and why it moves through space at various speeds and in various directions? Does any scientist or person of experience understand their own destiny or purpose? And we could ask countless additional questions. What does this all mean?

To me, this means that we all live in a world which we experience as basically unpredictable, unknowable, uncertain, and less then absolute. Those who present information in an absolute truth fashion are really deceiving themselves and also all their Saints who have bought into this deception.

Fear and uncertainty (a natural psychological event built into the minds of all people to various degrees) does create an environment where the many seek safety from these emotions. This creates a need for strong people of deception (who think they can discern reality absolutely) to play on these fears by presenting false absolutes (to the masses). This has been my personal experience with person’s who enunciate their absolute doctrines.

As scripture reveals, most people are like sheep…who desire a Shepherd who will present them with certainty, absolute truth, and a safe/secure mindset. This deception and/or illusion creates the need for strong personalities (absolute truth personalities) who think they have discovered some absolute truth or unchangeable set of beliefs for the masses (their personal sheep).

The platform that these strong personalities use to present their absolutes is a platform where challenge is not permitted. Try to challenge one of these absolute thinkers in their own venue? It is most difficult to do as their platform tends to prevent any type of challenge to their deceptions (presented as absolute truth) to their followers. Why is this such a deceptive process which few discern or challenge? Why are most religious people (when it comes to understanding) like sheep?

Here is a brief video which says that only 5% of the masses (including churchgoers) overcome their sheep-like mentality:

Here is a quote from an internet blog which seems accurate to me (with a few exceptions):

Religious People Are Like Sheep!

Submitted by slayerment on Thu, 07/26/2007 – 11:56pm.

• God
• Religion
• Spiritual

The more and more I explore different religions the more certain aspects make me cringe. What do all religions have in common you ask? They treat their people like sheep. Rather than the people actually questioning and going outside of their pen they just sit around and obey their master! This is a very sickening practice and in many ways it goes against what the Bible teaches.

Religious people rarely progress

Why is it that people think it is okay to never progress and sit around in their comfort zone? I guess a big part of it is because they don’t think, just like sheep don’t think. Forcing yourself to go to church on Sunday does you little good if you don’t honestly want to question the presenter of information. Just showing up to think that God is happy about you going is pretty backwards thinking. You need to actually work your mind and grow! Church and religion has people set up to sit around sipping milk all day when they should be out seeking out meat! They need to take on the tough issues and grow.

Let me ask you something. How many first graders graduate and move onto second grade once they have picked up the lessons of that grade? Pretty much EVERY single one. Now think about this: How many religious people GRADUATE up to the next grade once they have accomplished the basics? None! Most churches and religions are not set up to have you progress. Why is this? I’ll tell you why: religious people are sheep! They don’t want to go out on their own and follow the narrow path. They want the wide, easy, safe path that every other person in church follows.

My personal model of life is to challenge anyone and everyone if I discern that their data or information is questionable. I have learned from my personal experiences with people (including church going people) that all these strong personalities (especially those who lead and control the sheep) are really quite fallible and uncertain. They display certainty with their words and scripture quotations, but (in reality) they are seriously flawed in many areas of their personality…and their life is flawed just like you and I. Being ‘saved’ as many presume…does not remove one’s flawed human nature. Being ‘saved’ does not make one perfect or capable of enunciating absolute truths. Just what does being ‘saved’ mean to many believers?

Personally, I thought that I was ‘saved’ from my imperfections at one time in my life. I was baptized and I sought salvation from all my flawed imperfections. What happened? What happened is that I became a much more spiritual person in my outlook and perspective on life…yet I discovered that being ‘saved’ did not remove my flawed human nature. Deep down within myself, my flawed human nature continued (but to a lesser degree). To this day, I could not honestly say that any of my core flaws (my imperfect human nature) has been extinguished or removed totally. So what does being ‘saved’ really mean (in reality)?

Personally, I would suggest that being ‘saved’ is a step in the right direction (spiritually)…but this concept does not remove our flawed, uncertain, imperfect, and/or fallen core nature. The experiences of my late great father demonstrated to me this reality. He was ‘saved’ three times and baptized three times…all with the intention of becoming redeemed absolutely. Did this happen during is 85 year life span? No, it didn’t! Dad recognized his flawed human nature after each baptismal event. As spiritual as my dad became during his lifetime, he could not remove his flawed core human nature. I use this example only as one example of a real human being who tried to become ‘saved’ in some final form. It never happened and I don’t think there are any others (on this planet now or ever) who have accomplished this change in human nature.

So let’s give these issues some reflection and introspection on a personal basis. Are you ‘saved’ in some final form which is superior to another person on this planet? Are you capable of discerning absolute truth? Are you capable of enunciating absolute truth to yourself or to anyone else on this planet? If you claim that you can enunciate absolute truth or that you are ‘saved’ in some final form at this moment, then you need to demonstrate this reality now.

Let’s get you on TV and let’s but your beliefs and assumptions to the test of a challenge (a challenge from anyone and everyone who desires to challenge). Can your beliefs and assumptions withstand the test of a challenge from the masses (myself included)? If you can withstand the test, then you are God! We can then place the label of Christ (the perfect one) upon your forehead. You can look in the mirror and see your label and then accept your position (a position of power, control, and perfection). You would be the perfect example for everyone to follow and emulate!

So let’s conclude this missive with these questions:

1. Which side are you on right now? Can you enunciate absolute truth or not? Are you on the side of one who accepts your own absolute truth as right for everyone? Or is your truth relative and subjective and less then absolute? Which side are you on at this moment (right now)? Think about this question!

2. If you maintain that you can not enunciate absolute truth (right now), then why would you want to present your beliefs and assumptions as absolute truth for another person(s)? Why would you present your views (behind a pulpit) as the ONLY truth (for everyone) when you are uncertain? And why would you avoid a challenge from another person who disagrees with your absolute truth? Think about these questions and internalize the implications.

3. Is reality expressed and lived as: successive moments of now…or not? If now…and successive moments of now…accurately expresses how we live our lives, then we need to think about our enunciations, teachings, observations, and preaching as a now reality. Can anyone enunciate any type of reality (secular or spiritual) with absolute certainty and/or perfection (right now)? If so, then demonstrate this reality in the open via a challenge system! Let anyone and everyone who desires to challenge your absolutes…do so now!

4. If reality is relative and subjective and each person has a unique viewpoint about truth and reality, then what does this mean (right now)? Does preaching and teaching via the pulpit make any sense in today’s marketplace? Should strong personalities (and there are many) continue to hide behind their pulpits without being challenged as to their assumptions and beliefs? Should the ‘sheep’ continue to follow strong personalities who continue with a deceptive set of assumptions about today’s reality? Think about these questions! Either you can enunciate absolute truth or you can not!

5. What does scripture suggest about human nature:

Psalm 53:2-3 (New Living Translation)

On the entire human race; he (God) looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God.
3 But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt.[a]No one does good, not a single one!

Romans 3:10 (New International Version, ©2011)

“There is no one righteous, not even one;

Let’s conclude this missive with the assumption that deception and illusion are part of reality as we experience it. Our money system is an illusion (in my opinion). All fiat currencies are imaginary (in reality). And all the religious strong men who present their beliefs and assumptions about absolute truth and reality are probably not looking in their own mirror. Their followers (usually called the Sheep) could and probably are deceived, but unaware of their deception. Does a deceived person recognize that they might be deceived? Probably not!

I would suggest that many (including myself) could be deceived without being aware of one’s deception. This is why we all need to be challenged and questioned about our personal beliefs and our personal assumptions. If a deception is exposed and if transparency is made a goal of each of us, then we all can benefit from this process of exposure and transparency. We all can get ‘closer’ to absolute truth…even though absolute truth may not be possible in any final form…especially if there is a God who is the real absolute truth.

Pastors need to eliminate their exclusive pulpits and get out in the real marketplace and allow their beliefs and assumptions to be challenged by anyone and everyone (including all their sheep). Anyone who discovers that their beliefs and assumptions about their own human nature are less then absolute should quit ‘playing God’ and misleading their Sheep. Reality, to me, is NOW. Can anyone escape the NOW? This is my missive and blog for today. Enjoy and think about which side you are on?

Wisdom that seems relevant for today:

Matthew 7:13-14 (New International Version, ©2011)

The Narrow and Wide Gates

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

My solution for our economic situation: read Kingdom Economics.