enlevez le toit
A truth claim, by its very nature, is exclusive. I wish people could see this. I was listening to the BBC this morning on the way to work and heard much commentary about the Pope’s comments concerning Muhammad and Islam, and the outrage from the Islamic community. I can understand their indignation over such a comment, such as it is, standing opposed to their belief system, but to insist that he apologize for it, in effect retracting his statement and conceding that the two belief systems are not inherently contradictory, is to unacceptably debase his truth claim. And I’m not even Catholic–this could work in any direction. I get so tired of the veneer of postmodernism we live under.
We discussed this very thing last night during our (excellent) Truth Project home group meeting. The themes for the night were philosophy and ethics. The key distinction addressed was the difference between adhering to a worldview that acknowledges only the existence of the world around us, the “cosmic cube” being all there is, and one that believes in the transcendent God, Who is fundamentally different from His creation, exists outside of it, but Who has spoken throughout it and Who is at work in it all the time. Ultimately, without absolute truth, with only man-generated sources for philosophy and ethics, it is impossible to live consistently with one’s worldview. Ravi Zacharias gave a great example: He was invited to an art museum in Texas designed as the first “postmodern” museum. There were staircases that went nowhere, pillars that served no purpose, and so on. As the architect explained, if there is no ultimate truth or purpose in life, then he felt the building should reflect this. Zacharias then posed the question: “Did you design the foundation this way as well?” It was a poignant illustration of the fact that acknowledging that anything other than the existence of ultimate, objective truth in the world is just tantamount to playing a game. We can’t build the foundations of our lives upon the premise that “something is true for me, but something contradictory may be true for you.” If we have the courage and humility to think it through, it doesn’t work.
In other news, the past couple of days have been the most wonderful imaginable: clear skies, light breezes and air perched on the cusp between warm and cool. It is a lovely day for a picnic, a run, tennis or any number of things. Looking forward to an excellent weekend.
Excellent synopsis, love. I keep saying this, partially because I need for this truth to take hold, we are afforded the great luxury of philosophical games of deed and jargon because the author and finisher of all things, the foundational truth, is still holding this planet together. Astounding and audacious, these liberties we take, not recognizing reality in Christ.
What is so refreshing about Francis and Edith Schaeffer except that they lived their entire lives believing that what they really believed was really real. They prayed daily for their lives to be living testimony of a Real God. I cannot imagine a more fruitful and joyous life than this…nor anyone I’d rather live it with than you. I can’t wait to marry you; I am so proud of you. (awww moment)
You make several good points in this post. Though it isn’t, I think, necessarily the most profound or interesting point you make, the one I want to comment on is the one regarding the Muslim reaction to the Pope’s comments on Islam. I just don’t understand why the Islamic world thinks that the head of the Catholic church should be beholden to Islamic sensitivities or views.
Great observations. I need to remember to not take that luxury for granted. That’s something that’s been on my mind for a while: Can we “play games,” as it were, if we know, deep down, that it is only a game? If so, how long can we play the games before our indulgence in them begins to affect our character? Food for conversation, to be sure :)
I love you :) You are my companion in every way.
Re: your last sentence–I completely agree.
I’ve been following your posts with some interest as you pursue your law degree. I’d be very interested to hear your take on the source of ethical absolutes (if indeed you believe there are any), or at least the pervasive view at the legal world, if you have the chance and inclination.
That’s an interesting and pertinent question. I’ll have to give it some thought. I don’t know if I’m capable of coming up with a satisfactory answer, for either you or me.
I also wanted to follow up on the primary topic of this thread. I imagine you’ve seen this article – I think the Pope’s follow-up comment was right on point.
What baffles me is that, okay, the Pope made reference to comments about the “evil and inhuman” qualities of Islam. Then Muslims offended by this see fit to bomb churches and issue death threats? Do they not see what they are doing? God save us all.