|
Post by josh on Jun 8, 2006 1:14:45 GMT -5
If all truth is relative, what if I say relativism is false?
Would that be a true statement or a false one?
|
|
|
Post by larryflint4prez on Jun 8, 2006 12:56:02 GMT -5
If all truth is relative, what if I say relativism is false? Would that be a true statement or a false one? I feel like I've answered this before. Yes, if you claim that relativism is false ... that would also be a relativist truth. Again, relativism is the notion that, even if an objective world exists (and it might not!), we can only experience, observe and interface with that objective world through our subjective perceptions. For this reason, all truths are subjective. Because the subjective perceptions of different people invariably differ and may, in fact, be wrong ... all truth is relative. So, according to your subjective perception, you might support the relative truth that relativism itself is false. However, the fact that you and many other people believe relativism is false does not, in fact, refute relativism. The only flaw in relativism is that it is a tautology. Relativism is a claim which can only be verified in terms of the original claim (i.e. relativism cannot be falsified). This means relativism is not a valid scientific position; in fact it meets Karl Popper's critieria for a pseudoscience, just like creationism or intelligent design. Relativism is just a peculiar philosophical perspective. It doesn't really help answer any philosphical questions (in fact it creates unfortunate new paradoxes), but none of relativism's flaws imply that relativism is actually false.
|
|
|
Post by Jesse Morrell on Jun 8, 2006 19:35:13 GMT -5
Brother Avery I did not have you on my mind at all and neither was I trying to offend you. Allow me to clarify. By "cookie cutter" I did not mean using the teachings of Ray Comfort in a way which is good and beneficial. For someone who wants to learn how to witness, they need specific directions and instructions and even exact examples for them to follow. That is beneficial to the spreading of the gospel. However, when people have a spirit of, "my way is the only way" and they frown upon someone else who witnesses differently, this is not helpful to the Kingdom. Great men like Whitefield, Spurgeon, Finney, Wesley, did not use the popular analogies and question and answer format that is commonly used in witnessing. But they still had the Spirit of Christ and used the same biblical principles that we used. It's great to give people examples to follow, but we also must allow people to grow in their witnessing, even if they use new analogies and don't say exactly what we say when we preach. That is what I meant by "cookie cutter" - when everyone has to do the same exact thing and preach the same exact thing word for word and there is no room for exeption. We should teach principles for witnessing, and be very careful teaching a pattern for witnessing. I spoke about this in my sermon, "Anointing in Open Air" found on the site. But brother Avery I have heard you preach and have always loved you as a Brother. I think your preaching is good and have always enjoyed fellowshipping with you. I hope and pray that we never discourage you from witnessing but that you always find us to be an encouragement to your ministry. Which signs are you talking about? These are the ones we have used: That one is hard to read but it says, "Whom the Son sets free is free indeed" Do you believe you could tell someone, after they have confessed it, that they are a "lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulter-at-heart" in a Spirit of love?
|
|
|
Post by Jesse Morrell on Jun 9, 2006 11:27:47 GMT -5
I forgot some of the older signs. I made these signs when I still lived in Connecticut about 3 years ago. The red and black one says, "Sodom Had No Bible" and the blue and green one says, "The Wicked Shall Be Turned Into Hell Ps 9:17" And this one: It reads, "God is a just judge and God is angry with the wicked every day. Ps 7:11" Unfortinately I no longer have these signs as they were in the trunk of my bruick when it was stolen in Deep Ellum. The Spirit of preaching must always be love. When we are bold we must be bold in the Spirit. When we are meek we must be meek in the Spirit. When we exhort we must exhort in the Spirit. When we rebuke we must rebuke in the Spirit. We must neither put the Spirit in a box nor grieve the Spirit through harsh bitterness. We need the Spirit in our preaching more then anything else. Preaching is vain without the Spirit.
|
|