PURSUIT OF TRUTH | KAIROS GLOBAL | SEPTEMBER 2022

Author:  Aby Jacob

Intro: Aby Jacob writes about absolute truth and addresses some of the objections to it.

Truth is one of the core subjects in philosophy. When one begins an intellectual journey to find the truth, the goal must be to remove all misconceptions and falsehoods from their mind and pursue what is true. It may sometimes demand a lot of courage and humility to make paradigm shifts to follow and stand for the truth. When it comes to man’s quest for the truth, one can ponder these questions: Does truth exist? Is there absolute truth? Can we know the truth? Does God exist? Is there one true religion? 

Today, many people do not want to accept the idea of absolute, objective, and universal truth. Instead, they believe that all truths are relative by saying, ‘it might be true for you, but not true for me.’ This approach is called relativism. Relativists hold that there is no such thing as absolute truth, and all truth is specific to its place, culture, and time. Many people have a relativistic approach towards religion today. Some people think that all religious truth claims are just a matter of opinion. But does absolute truth exist? In this article, I aim to show that absolute truth exists along with addressing some of the objections to this claim and an introduction to examining religious truth claims. I want you to embark on this journey with thirst and love for the truth by widely opening your mind to think critically about this culturally relevant topic. 

Everybody believes in absolute truth in real life, even if they say they don't believe in absolute truth. If one declares, ‘there is no absolute truth,’ I can ask, ‘is it absolutely true that there is no absolute truth?’ If the answer is ‘yes,’ that person agrees that absolute truth exists because the assertion ‘there is no absolute truth’ itself is an absolute truth statement. Such a claim is a contradiction and plain absurdity. It is important to note that truth corresponds to reality. For example, I am currently in the USA. It is a fact that I am not somewhere else. Even if you are now in India or South Africa, it is also true for you that I am in the USA when referring to me. It is a false claim if someone says I am currently in the UK when I am in the USA. ‘1+1 =2’ is true for everyone in every culture. There are objections to the idea of absolute truth, which comes in different forms and can sometimes confuse people instantly.

Many people believe all truth is relative. However, relativism is self-defeating when we apply the claim to itself. If one says, ‘all truth is relative,’ I can respond by saying, ‘that statement itself is not a relative truth; the statement, “all truth is relative,” is an absolute truth claim.’ Absolute truth is true for everybody. If something is true for everybody, then it is not relative truth. Relativism is not only self-defeating but also has many consequences. If all truth is relative, then no book can be truer than any other book. People can have their own reality and define reality in whatever way they want. Then words cannot have objective meaning. For example, if one sees a bottle labeled ‘poison’, does anyone ever take it as ‘it is true for you, but not for me?’

Communication becomes impossible if everybody defines their own reality. One cannot make absolute historical claims. For example, one cannot even say that India became an independent nation on August 15, 1947. A relativist can disagree with the historical truth that the Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Instead, one can say the Taj Mahal was built by a group of red ants with the help of many fishes in the sea and birds in the sky. Isn't this absurd? If relativism is true, one cannot make absolute moral statements such as ‘torturing babies for fun is wrong.’ Now it is clear that everyone believes in absolute truth. We should not fall into the absurd and incoherent idea of relativism. There are other objections to the idea of absolute truth.

Some agnostics or skeptics claim, ‘you can’t know anything.’ Then I can ask, ‘how do you know that is true?’ or ‘how do you know “you can't know anything?”’ If the statement is true, then that person at least knows that ‘you can’t know anything,’ which defeats itself. Some people say, ‘you should not judge me.’ The statement collapses itself as it is a statement of judgment. These self-refuting statements are similar to saying, ‘I can't write a word in English.’ What about religious truth claims? 

When it comes to questioning religious claims, many people get angry if one tries to defend that all religious claims cannot be true. People often get irritated and say, ‘Christianity may be true for you, but Hinduism is true for me.’ Many believe relativism seems to be a humble approach to showing respect to people of all religions. While it is important to respect people regardless of their religious beliefs, it does not necessarily mean what they believe is true. All religious claims cannot be true simultaneously because religions disagree concerning their truth claims. God cannot exist and not exist at the same time. God cannot be one and many at the same time. If Jesus Christ is the only way to God, then there cannot be other ways to God. 

If God exists, it is true for everybody, whether one believes it or not. If one of the religious worldviews is absolutely true, it is true for everybody. If it is a historical fact that Jesus lived, died for sin, and rose from the dead, then it is true for everybody. I argue that the biblical worldview is true, rational, and important to whole life. It passes all tests for truth and answers all worldview questions sufficiently and satisfactorily. I do not have space to expand on comparative religion here, but I look forward to writing on it in a future article. Regarding the quest for truth, someone's opinion does not matter; the truth is what matters. It is vital to note that truth has an eternal significance. Truth gives intrinsic value, meaning, and purpose to life. So far, in our intellectual pursuit of truth, we have learned that absolute truth exists, and all religious truth claims cannot be true simultaneously. In the future, I hope to walk you through this journey by addressing the most important questions about the existence of God, life, and the cosmos by integrating theology, philosophy, science, and apologetics. Stay tuned! 

Recommended Reading: 

Douglas Groothuis, Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith, 2022 (Chapters 5 & 6).

Aby Jacob was born and raised in Kerala, India. He is currently pursuing an MA in Philosophy and a Certificate in Scientific Apologetics at Southern Evangelical Seminary (USA). He dedicates his life to defending the Christian faith and answering people’s honest questions about God, life, and the world.