Transcript The Postmodern View of Truth

Part One
The Postmodern View of Truth
 Our nation was built upon principles of truth: “We
hold these truths to be self-evident…” (Decl. of
Indep.)
 Our postmodern world is sadly suffering from
truth decay … among many, truth is no longer 1)
knowable, 2) absolute, 3) objective), or 4) universal
 Our modern way of thinking can be summed up in
one word: “Whatever…” (said with a tone of
apathy)
Pre-Modern
Modern
Post-Modern
c. 200 B.C. to
1600 A.D.
Life is governed
by the objective
truths accepted
from the divine
c. 1600 to
1960 A.D.
Life is governed
by human
discoveries and
human reason
(science, logic)
c. 1960 to
present
Life is governed
by feelings
Truth is
determined by
empirical facts
and moral
principles
Truth is
determined by
empirical,
scientific proof
Truth is a
“construct” of
our own mind (a
culture const. or
an individual
const.)
 Postmodernism is a philosophical belief that one
cannot be certain about things (truths, realities)
 Postmodernism has affected all major aspects of
our society: law, politics, science, literature,
education, architecture, art, the media, religion,
etc.
 The belief that one cannot be certain is not new
(Gen. 3:1; Eccl. 1:9)
 Frederick Nietzsche once said that “convictions are
more dangerous enemies of truth than lies”
 A belief becomes “truth” for a postmodernist at the
moment one makes a “choice” to believe
something; a “truth” for that moment and time
 A “truth” for the postmodernist is what works,
what one prefers, what brings one pleasure
 Subjective
 Construct (ivism)
 Individual worldview
 Scripted / significance
 Pluralistic
 Narratives / fictions
 Relative
 Multiculturalism
 Situationalism
 Deconstruction
 Tolerance
 Choice
 “That may be true for you, but that doesn’t make it
true for me.”
 “The way I live is my choice. You don’t have a right
to impose your views on me.”
 “Whatever…” (said with a tone of apathy)
What brought about postmodernism?
1. The failure of modernism (particularly the late
1800’s) to bring about a perfect world order
2. A cosmopolitan, multi-media-saturated
environment
3. The vast diversity of religious and philosophical
perspectives available to everyone
4. A fixed sense of identity, or one best way to live,
had become lost
What brought about postmodernism?
5. The belief that language comes from man alone
and cannot describe realities (truths) outside of
man
6. The belief that written texts do not have
determinate, singular knowable meaning (truth)
7. The belief that truth is formed, not by reality, but
by power relationships
 Religious beliefs (realities) are plural, subjective,
and derived from one’s individual worldviews
 Individuals “construct” their own truths and values
(realities); no pre-existing body of knowledge
 No one should impose his or her ideas on other
people; all ideas are equally valid; tolerance is the
only binding principle; no judging or criticism
 People will drift in a sea of constant doubt and
change; agnostic; no certainty; no proof
 There are no objective truths; no fixed order; truth
and morality are relative
 People will be shaped by an arbitrary set of values
given to them by society
 If there is no objective truth, what is there to
learn? Why read, study, prove, etc.?
 If there is no objective truth, then there are no
wrong answers to questions
 People are afraid to be certain, afraid of authority
or to speak with authority
 People are free to believe whatever they want
 Religion is about a “feeling” not a set of values and
ideals (true or false)
 “There is no absolute truth…” (except for the
statement that there is no absolute truth)
 “All social constructs (beliefs) should be
deconstructed…” (except the belief of
postmodernism which should not be deconstructed)
 “People should not condemn…” (unless its
condemning condemnation) and “people should be
tolerant of all others…” (except for people who are
intolerant)
 There is such a thing as objective truth (vv. 18-19)
 There is such a thing as objective truth because
God is real (v. 20)
 If you reject God and his objective truth, you no
longer have a basis for either reason or morality;
anything goes; man is god (vv. 21-31)
 If you live a life of vain reasoning and immorality,
you will reap serious consequences (v. 32)
 NT Christians were not “scripted” by their culture,
but they were formed by the gospel (1 Cor. 1:22-29)
 There is one way to God, not multiple ways: one
savior (Jn. 14:6; 18:37-38; Ac. 4:12), one gospel
(Gal. 1:6-9), and one church (Eph. 4:4-6)
 The gospel is to stay the same, not be
“deconstructed” (2 Tim. 1:13; Jude 3)
For further study on the subject of postmodernism, consult
the following:
Gene E. Veith, Postmodern Times: A Christian Guide to
Contemporary Thought and Culture (Wheaton: Crossway,
1994)
Donald Carson, The Gagging of God (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1995)
Stanley J. Grenz, A Primer on Postmodernism (Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1996)
Douglas Groothuis, Truth Decay (Downers Grove: IVP, 2000)