Relativism: The Luxury of Absolutes

In my last post I addressed the issue of "theocracy". Many on the left and center in the U.S. are afraid that Christians are trying to implement divine rule over the American culture. What I believe is driving this fear is relativism. Since there is no such thing as "absolute" truth, society should not be burdened with any religious, moral claims of absolutes. The problem with this approach, as I mentioned before, is that this claim is in itself absolute and relativism will only provided the hole for a competing absolute to fill.

America has struggled with idea of freedom and virtue since its inception, but its guiding force has mostly been of a religious, absolute nature. Most of the founders believed in a God and that men were accountable for their actions. The nation was founded on "self evident truths", "All men are created equal", Endowed by their creator with inalienable rights". This was not pluralism or relativism, but truths grounded in a theistic worldview.

Today we have reaped the benefits of this great belief, and at the cost of much blood and turmoil. This nation has been working out its salvation with fear and trembling from the beginning, and we are losing sight of what gives the right to our freedoms. The idea that men should be free from tyranical governments and political and social anarchy is not something relativism can sustain. If we are created in the image of an absolute, transcendant God, then we have inherant rights he has provided, that humanity has no right to dissolve.

Relativism is a current luxury afforded by the fact that our national, legal, moral, and political infrastructure is founded on the idea of moral absolutes. We can say there is no "real" truth because we are protected by the idea of real truth (law, justice, equality). This history of truth is being systematically challenged at all levels of society. If the challenge succeeds, another truth will prevail and fill the gap of the one we have disarded. What this truth will entail remains to be seen. It is hard to imagine a just and equitable society where absolutes have been done away with.

TOTT