We live in a curious age. I am a "black and white" sort of guy. It seems to me that there use to be a lot of "white" and a lot of "black" and a little bit of gray or grey in the middle. Today, as I look around, I wonder if, in the minds of many, there is any "white" and "black" or if everything now is grey.
Francis Schaeffer wrote this about 35 years ago. I think he addressed it to intellectuals but since then this kind of thinking has become commonplace.
“------ we should note this curious mark of our own age: the only absolute allowed is the absolute insistence that there is no absolute."
Now, when there is a difference, either:
I am wrong and you are right,
or
You are wrong and I am right,
or
We are both wrong,
but
We cannot both be right. (unless reason has died)
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Wrong and right is a good distinction when we are dealing wih facts, not a good distinction when we are dealing with assessments. Assessments are neither righ or wrong but weigh more or less depending on the criteria and evidence presented, which is why no one is really guilty or innocent in the legal system, they are judged guilty or not guilty (never innocent. Most of the world is not a world of facts, but a world of assessments ("solid" or not depends on whether we are assessing realtiy from the point of view of mechanical versus quantum physics). So, since it is a fact that most of the world depends on assessments, it is therefore a fact that the world is mostly gray, not black and white. Sorry Joe.
ReplyDeleteIf one is relying on intelligence and discernment to assess the validity of something, then criteria and evidence are crucial. However, I believe in Divine Revelation - The Bible. The truth presented in the Bible is true whether or not you agree with it or not. It is factual and truthful and no assessment of it's validity is necessary in order to make it more factual or more truthful. It is to "spiritual verities" that I directed the Blog. But I still maintain that two different and contradicting idea, truth statements or assessment about anything cannot both be right. They can both be wrong.
ReplyDeleteJoe
Only my brother Ken could write like that. How's it going bro? Maybe we'll vacation in Santiago this winter. Looks like I'll be retiring this fall. Take it easy!
ReplyDeleteJoe