Truth: Part 3

This is the 3rd and final post about "Truth" (for now).  You may want to read Truth Part 1 and  Truth Part 2 before you read this part.  Truth Part 1 shares, "Truth promotes Logic". Truth Part 2 shares, "Truth promotes Law." And now,  

3)    Truth promotes LORD (had to have a "L" word for God)

 I agree with Nietzsche that we all have different perspectives (way we look at life, opinions).  Perspectives do not guide us to truth.  And, truth exists independent of all perspectives.  Either a person’s perspective is true or false.  An example I used with my daughter: we could both look at my purple cell phone and have different perspectives (opinions) of the color.  I could wrongly say, "It is black," She could disagree saying, "It's purple."  I asked her if the the phone has a true color.  She said, "Yes, it can only have one true color."  I agree with my nine-year-old.  Because the phone exists, it has a TRUE color.  What if we both decided to call the color of my phone, red?  Would that change the TRUE color?  No.  What if we agree on the color, does that mean it is correct?  Not necessarily.  The phone's true color is true because it is true.  True? (my daughter laughed at the last statement)   

Nietzsche denied God’s existence (his perspective).  Can God not exist for Nietzsche and others who deny God, and yet exist for those who do believe in God?  No.  Either God exists or he doesn’t.  Our perspectives do not change the truth.  Because we live in reality, we can believe the truth about who we are as people, who God is, and how we relate to God.

Many Christian philosophers offer several arguments for God's existence.  The editors of the book, "To Everyone an Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview" include five different arguments:  the kalam cosmological argument, an argument from design, a Thomistic cosmological argument, a moral argument, and an ontological argument* (may simplify these in a future blog post).  Philosopher Paul Copan summarizes the moral argument in his chapter as:  If objective moral values exist, then God exists. Objective moral values do exist.  Therefore, God exists.*  Simply speaking:  "objective" defined as "measurable"; "moral values" defined as "what is right and wrong (true or false)" The moral argument bases this statement on the fact that truth exists.  Moral truth (right or wrong) must exist for objective moral values to exist.  Therefore, truth promotes the moral argument that God exists. 

Wow!  My brain hurts.  
   

*Francis J. Beckwith, William Lane Craig, and J.P. Moreland, To Everyone an Answer: A Case For the Christian Worldview , (Downers Grove, Illinois:IVP Academic, 2004) .

Spring Cleaning: New Carpet

(I'm sorry I haven't finished "Truth, part 3".  I took a Spring Break)  Here are some spilling thoughts of hope...

My much needed Spring Break with the girls ended today when I dropped them off to school.  We had a great week of time with family, friends, and SPRING CLEANING.  The girls, not as thrilled as I, endured cleaning their closets and rooms.  One project led to another, including tearing out old carpet to have new carpet in the girls' rooms.


I.  Why new carpet?

We moved into our current house 3 1/2 years ago.  The former owners replaced the carpet with the cheapest they could find to avoid giving us a carpet allowance.  We let the girls wear the carpet out!  When I had the carpets cleaned the week before last, the carpet cleaner asked if we had dogs.  "No, but our previous owners did."  Come to find out, in one of the rooms, they only replaced the carpet, not the pad.  Gross!  It only became evident when they wet the cheap carpet to clean it.  Needless to say, we are getting new carpet today! 

II.  How to get new carpet?

This reminded me of my how I used to take care of my stains (sin; choosing my way, not God's way).  My life, like the carpet, had stains from "accidents" (sin) that left a nasty look and atrocious smell that God could not accept.  He only accepts perfection, because He is perfect.  Instead of getting rid of the stains, I tried to cover it with carpet of good deeds (cleaning my room when told, letting go of my sister when told, trying my best in 2nd grade) church going (every time the doors were open).  I thought the more I went to church the better the carpet, right?  However, the Bible says we cannot get rid of sin by DOING more. (CEV) Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own.  It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about."  So how could I get rid of the stains?  Only forgiveness gets rid of the stains.  So how can I have forgiveness? (CEV) 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 says, "God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others. What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world."   We can only have forgiveness through Jesus, who died on the cross to take the penalty for our sin, death.  He died to offer us forgiveness.  When we trust in Him, God tears out the old carpet and pad (sin) and gives us new carpet, Jesus carpet (crimson red, from His blood).

III.  How to keep clean carpet?

God only accepts Jesus carpet in our lives to go to heaven.  Jesus carpet, the perfection God demands, is stain resistant.  Does that mean I will never sin again?  No.  But, every time I have an accident on the carpet (sin), the sin is already covered, and easily cleaned. I noticed the day after I had my carpet cleaned, how protective I became to keep it clean. That is how God wants us to be with our lives. (CEV) Romans 6:1-4 says, "Should we keep on sinning, so that God's wonderful kindness will show up even better?   No, we should not! If we are dead to sin, how can we go on sinning?   Don't you know that all who share in Christ Jesus by being baptized also share in his death?  When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father."  God says, don't keep sinning carelessly because you have Jesus.  When I have another accident, I need to tell God about it, so the carpet (my life) remains clean and useful. (CEV) 1 John 1:9 says, "But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away."

So, what kind of carpet do you have in your life?  Carpet you choose stained from sin? Carpet you try to keep clean with your own efforts, never removing the stains?  Or crimson red carpet God provides through the blood of Jesus? If you already have Jesus carpet, are there areas of your life you need to tell God about?  You only have to ask God for new carpet (forgiveness) and he will do the rest.

Verses taken from  the CEV (Contemporary English Version).

Truth: Part 2

 
I remember the first questions each of my girls asked repeatedly, "what's that, what's that, what's that?" I answered this question with one or two words for them to add to their vocabulary. The next phrase, "why?" wasn't as easy to answer. My simplified answer usually led to another, "why?". After answering about five "whys" in a row, I would usually exasperatedly answer, "That's just the way it is. Or, I don't know. Or, depending on the question, sometimes I used the phrase I heard my parents say and promised I would never use, "because I said so."

When it comes to questions about what I believe about the Bible, God, Jesus, heaven, faith, and other religions, I had easy answers for the “what’s that?” questions the girls asked.  However, when I had no answer for God’s existence when talking to my atheist neighbor a year and a half ago, I knew I needed better answers for the “why?” questions.  I want to defend my faith with truth and not just respond with, “I don’t know.  Or, that’s just the way it is.”  I desire for my girls to know why they believe what they believe and not just, “because my parents told me so.”

1)    Truth promotes LOGIC (see last post; Truth part 1)

2)  Truth promotes LAW

According to Douglas Groothuis, who quotes from Friedrich Nietzsche’s books, The Will to Power and The Portable Nietzsche, Nietzsche’s philosophy of perspectivism has influenced the “no truth” person today.  Nietzsche claimed that facts do not exist, “only interpretations (or constructions) created according to one’s particular needs to enhance one’s life, what he called “the power to will.””  Groothuis quotes Nietzsche, “There is no true world, “only “a perspectival appearance whose origin lies in us.” In other words, we all have different points of view and none of them are actually true.  Reality doesn’t exist. *1

Perspectivism also supports the idea that lying does not exist.   If there is no truth, only a matter of interpretation, the facts in which to deny (lie), do not exist.  Can that be true?  Sounds like the law of non-contradiction again.  Ironically, the biggest problem in our world began with a lie, a lie from the “father of lies”, Satan himself.  Satan lied to Eve, telling her she will not die, like God said, if she ate of the fruit (Genesis 3).  Eve believed Satan and not God.  Choosing disobedience caused sin to enter the perfect world God created.  We will always be tempted to believe Satan’s lies, tell lies ourselves, and believe in the obvious lie, that truth does not exist.*1    

To summarize, if perspectivism is true, (which can’t be by its own definition), there is no reality, no lying, and no need for laws.  Does that sound absurd to you? However, because truth exists and people still lie, we need laws against lying.  Think about it, God included “not lying” in the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:16 says, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”  God knows people don’t you think?  He created us, you know.  And He died for us, "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8.

Truth (and lies) promotes the need for law.

Source:*1) Douglas Groothuis, “Facing the Challenge of Postmodernism” in Francis J. Beckwith, William Lane Craig, and J.P. Moreland, To Everyone an Answer: A Case For the Christian Worldview , (Downers Grove, Illinois:IVP Academic, 2004) .



For Truth Part 3

Linked to: Laura (friend of Douglas Groothius)

Truth Part 1

After completing a certificate from Biola University in Apologetics (defending the faith), I’m finally trying to get thoughts on paper that I can understand and teach my girls.

 Why stand for truth?

1)    Truth promotes LOGIC

When I explained to my girls, ages 10, 9 and 6, the idea that some people don’t believe truth exists, they looked at me as if I’m from another planet.  They’ve learned enough math to understand 1+1=2  is always true.   If they would answer differently on a test, they would get it wrong.  They couldn’t argue, “Well teacher, in my opinion, 1+1 = 3.” Math demands absolute truth. 

However, Douglas Groothuis, in the book To Everyone an Answer: A Case For the Christian Worldview states, “The postmodernist deconstruction of objective truth and rationality amounts to this: truth does not lodge in statements that correspond to reality.  Truth is a matter of perspective only; it is something that individuals and communities construct primarily through language.”

 In simple words, people today will argue, “We cannot know if anything is 100% true or not.  What is true for you may not be true to me and that’s ok.  With no truth, every word we say is really only opinion and should not be stated as fact.” 

I modeled the following argument  to the girls. A “no truth” person argues, “There is no absolute truth.”  Another person asks, “Really? Is that true?”  The “no truth“ person says, “Absolutely.”  My nine-year-old started laughing.  She understands the contradiction of the “no truth” statements.   She understands Aristotle’s  law of non-contradiction, “opposite assertions cannot be true at the same time” (Metaph IV 6 1011b13–20)*2,  without knowing the brainy term.  In other words, a statement cannot be both true and false at the same time.  The “no truth” person breaks the philosophy law of non-contradiction.

Do you stand for truth? Why, or why not?
Sources:

*1) Douglas Groothuis, “Facing the Challenge of Postmodernism” in Francis J. Beckwith, William Lane Craig, and J.P. Moreland, To Everyone an Answer: A Case For the Christian Worldview , (Downers Grove, Illinois:IVP Academic, 2004) .

*2) Malpas, J., "Donald Davidson", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2003 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2003/entries/davidson/>.

For Truth Part 2

Linked to:

big enough logo? :)

Works!  Thank you Kathy at cornerstoneconfessions.com for the Signature :) and how to make a blog button.

Wasted Day

Last Friday as I walked by my laundry room, an unfamiliar sound caught my attention.  Only on my second load of about five, the washing machine made a "click, click, click" sound during the spin cycle.  "That cannot be good," I thought.  And it wasn't.  My twelve year old machine had decided to retire.  Really?  We just replaced a garage door spring the week before.   And, ironically I mentioned my washing machine on my "one thousand gifts" list earlier in the week.   

Saturday, I woke up with a mission: find a new washing machine.  No problem.  I could do this!  I had a plan.  I had the money (thanks to the hardworking and planning of my husband). I had the time (thanks to my husband taking the girls to Home Depot to create woodwork and memories.  Have a mentioned I have the BEST husband!).  How long could it take anyway?  A couple of hours?  Did I ask God for His help?  No.

I started with internet research.  Which machine could I afford and highly rated by other people?  After an hour, I had narrowed my search from two-thousand- twenty- nine- and a half machines to "the perfect" washing machine.  Did I ask God for His help?  No.

Next goal: find a place with the best price.  And more importantly, find the place that would deliver it to my laundry room ASAP.  I could order it online and have it delivered by Monday.  I guess that would work.  I made a road trip to the nearest store to take a gander at the product before I ordered it.  Great!  Just what I wanted.  I asked the store associate about it.  She had it in stock and could have it delivered on Tuesday.  Tuesday?  Online it said Monday.  She wouldn't budge without a $20 fee to have it delivered on Monday.  So, I decided to return home to purchase it online and have it delivered on Monday.  Did I ask God for His help? No.

The next two hours are the hours I wish I could take back (wasted day).  I had determined what washing machine I wanted, from where it would come, and when it would be delivered.  My plans did not match up to the company's, in which I would purchase the perfect machine.  I thought I had my transaction complete, when my rarely used store credit card, needed to receive 15% off, wouldn't work.  I needed to talk to credit card services and then complete the order.  The associate said she would call me back in ten minutes.  After forty minutes and no call, I decided to start over with a different associate.  By the time I finished the transaction, she said my machine could be delivered TUESDAY.  What?  This began a string of calls (I'll spare you the details).  With each call, my voice sounded less pleasant, my demands got greater, and I finally did not even sound like a Jesus follower (No, I didn't curse.  But my attitude was UGLY!)  When it was all said and done, I received $30 off and free installation, but it would not be delivered and installed until WEDNESDAY.  Ugh!  Did I ask God for His help? No.

While I waited on hold several times and talked to several associates about my purchase, I had the time to continue to look for the same machine at a different company.  I know I had already looked at this, (I wrote down "delivery 3/17/12" and marked it out).  But now, I found the same machine for $120 cheaper and delivery as early as the same day.  I received my washing machine the next afternoon.  I did not deserve this.  Did I ask God for His help.  No.

So, why the long story?  Later Saturday night when I finally took time to pray, God spoke in a whisper, "You never asked for my help."  Does God really want to help us with shopping?  Yes.  God says to pray about everything (Ephesians 6:18 says, With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit...).  How would my wasted day have been different if I asked for help?  Would God have given me a better deal and faster delivery?  Maybe.  Would I have wasted the time on the phone instead of enjoying the beautiful day with the girls?  Maybe.  But I wouldn't have had a bad attitude.  I will never know because I didn't ask for help.

God reminded me, as a Jesus follower, that prayer is not just part of my relationship with Him, it IS my relationship.  If I'm not praying about everything, I'm relying on ME, not HIM.  Because prayer is a two-way conversation, (not just me asking God for this or that),  I need to ask God about everything and listen to His answer.  It's easy to ask God to help with the "big stuff".  But, nothing is "too small" for Him. (Asking is just one aspect of prayer.  Don't forget about praise, forgiveness, thankfulness...many, many, blog posts :))

Today as I busily picked up my house, I came across a plastic bag of vacuum cleaner dirt, fuzz, etc.  I remembered I dumped it on Friday, after I realized I may have vacuumed up a necklace pendant.  Thinking about this post, I prayed that God would help me find the pendant if I had vacuumed it up.  Guess what!  I found it within 30 seconds.  I'm not saying God will always give you anything you want when you ask.  God is not a genie.  But, it's about your relationship with Him.  Do you even ask?  I do think God blessed me with a quick answer to show me I should pray about everything, even a small necklace pendant.

Jesus follower, What can you do on your own that you think is "too small" to pray about?  God wants to help.

Open House

Tonight our girls' elementary school had Open House.  This meant every child and parent, or other representative invaded the school.  The children, excited to show off their art work, power point projects, essays, and in Kindergarten, games they play throughout the week, crowded into the building.  The parents, exhausted from a long day of work, housework, or busy work, say hello to parents (some  they see twice a year) and wait in line to hear the teacher say how amazing their student performs (or  hopes to hear, anyway).

If I received a report on my performance in life, with Jesus as my teacher, what would He say?  Do I play well with others, or just try life on my own?  Do I listen to instructions and obey? (Bible the instruction book).  Do I try my best with the work I'm given?  Do I encourage others?  Do I fight over always being first in line?  Do I push others in the swing? (put others before me)  Do I cry when I don't get my way?  (selfish)  Do I make others cry with my words?  Am I a peacemaker or instigator?  Do I include others, even those no one will include?  Am I content with the seat I'm assigned? (don't always get to choose circumstances in our lives).  Do I stay controlled and seated when told, or run around out of control?

Thankfully, Jesus shows patience and allows me to continue to work on these areas.  When I flunk, he gives me more instruction and another test.  I'm thankful my performance in the school of life is only a reflection of my teacher.  I cannot earn graduation into heaven on my own.  If I enroll as Jesus as my teacher, (tell Him I trust Him alone) He will instruct me on how to live life, and graduate into heaven.  If I continue to teach myself, I will fail.  And when life is over, if Jesus never taught me I will be separated from Him forever.  I'm thankful because of my friendship with Jesus, my teacher, He never gives up on me.   

Does Jesus have you on His roll?
Psalm 86:11
Teach me Your way, O LORD;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.