Truth, according to the dictionary, is “conformity to
fact or actuality; a statement proven to be or accepted as true.” Some
people would say that there is no true reality, only perceptions and
opinions. Others would argue that there must be some absolute reality or
truth.
One view says that there are no absolutes that define reality. Those who
hold this view believe everything is relative to something else, and
thus there can be no actual reality. Because of that, there are
ultimately no moral absolutes, no authority for deciding if an action is
positive or negative, right or wrong. This view leads to “situational
ethics,” the belief that what is right or wrong is relative to the
situation. There is no right or wrong; therefore, whatever feels or
seems right at the time and in that situation is right. Of course,
situational ethics leads to a subjective, “whatever feels good”
mentality and lifestyle, which has a devastating effect on society and
individuals.The other view holds that there are indeed absolute realities and standards that define what is true and what is not. Therefore, actions can be determined to be either right or wrong by how they measure up to those absolute standards. If there are no absolutes, no reality, chaos ensues. Take the law of gravity, for instance. If it were not an absolute, we could not be certain we could stand or sit in one place until we decided to move. Or if two plus two did not always equal four, the effects on civilization would be disastrous. Laws of science and physics would be irrelevant, and commerce would be impossible. What a mess that would be! Thankfully, two plus two does equal four. There is absolute truth, and it can be found and understood.
