Compass of extremes,
Ps. Sivin Kit just gave us a short exposition about "Relativism ... and beyond".
I have learnt a great deal about Relativism these 2 weeks and about how people think based upon their precepts and fore-knowledge. I'm beginning to see how many people look at things influenced by their cultural, religious and education backgrounds, and the funny thing is, they dont even know it~!
What mattered to me wasn't about either being a Relativist or an Absolutist. It was about seeing Christ beyond what these 2 terms meant. For me no compass of extremes can envelop the nature of God. A compass of extremes is infact a limited measure.
Can there be infinite absolutes?
Can there be infinite relativism?
Like how Ps Sivin Kit put it, if a man says that he holds ONLY to relativism, does he already not express the absolute element when he says ONLY? Certainly a direct contradiction. So then can we say that being absolute is the way every man should hold on to? The person will also holds himself back and say, "Depending on the circumstances". (a common safety net)
But for us Christians, its BEYOND all that.
Something I couldn't really agree with Ps. Sivin was that, he said that the Church points to the truth. I would say to an extent that this is true, provided the Church as it is today are in some kind of unification of understanding of truth.
-- To be Continued --
12th Feb 2006
Thanks Ps Sivin on that comment and for that HUGE angpow~! (Didn't really get to read the whole thing)
True Truth (if I may use such a term) is Absolute! God is Absolute! Does the church know True Truth? It just bothers me sometimes to see inconsistancy among the churches today. Perhaps this inconsistency has already begun even in the days of the apostles. It was eveident that in Paul's days, the churches in Corinth and Ephasus were having problems of their own adopting the Christian doctrine in their multifaceted cultural background.
Today, Christians also have different stands of alcoholism and gay rights. What does the True Truth really say about it?
Now back to something I can agree with Ps Sivin is that, he mentioned that the Church does not claim to have the Truth, merely a signpost to indicate the location of the truth. While he was sharing this, a picture came to me. I wish to draw it out here, maybe in another post.
This was how it is to be explained.
At the top was the Church, out of the Church was pointing to many-many directions, but there was one arrow that points down somewhere. This arrow was unique, it can't be moved, it cant be changed, it seems almost like the anchorage of the Church. No matter where the Church moves, the arrow points it down.
Gradualy the Church is drawn towards the direction of where the arrow is pointing. As it moves closer, all the other arrows that point outwards seem to just fade away .. or combines itself with the arrow pointing downwards, they didnt matter anymore.
One day the Church of Jesus Christ will, by His grace, be brought to the knowledge of True Truth and all that is around that seems to matter so much at this point of time will make no sense when we are there.
Well, as long as a Church fully understands their existance here on earth and puts God as a point of referance, I would call it a reliable sign post.
3 comments:
since you're faster than me in posting on today's event. I'll offer you an ang pow link http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/relativism/
which I think has a helpful closing,
" Perhaps the most promising strategy for finding a middle way between extreme relativism, on the one hand, and an over-simplified objectivism, on the other, is to try to reconcile the contingent, historical, culture-bound nature of our thought with what seems to be our ability to come to think in better--and not simply different--ways.
Thinkers who attempt this often begin by observing that we must start from where we are, warts and all, with our current concepts and beliefs and standards and limitations (we could, after all, scarcely begin from anywhere else). Furthermore, they often continue, our beliefs and standards do not require justification unless they are challenged in some relevant way. This is not to say that we are forever stuck with our current views, however, because various pressures can lead us to make improvements. This possibility of improvement is often overlooked, however, because we are in the grip of some overly-ambitious model of rationality or justification that refuses to count something as an improvement unless we can give something like a formal demonstration that it is better than what went before. "
Well, as long as a Church fully understands their existance here on earth and puts God as a point of reference, I would call it a reliable sign post.
emmm....... i will say as long as a church fully understands their existence here on earth,and do not choose what to obey and what not to obey, puts God as Lord and King of their lives, and His Word as the ultimate authority, with much prayers, i would call it a reliable sign post.
More often, it is nt an easy calling to live up to His standards bt it is important to cheer and to encourage one another to grow closer to Him. The world need a correct and reliable sign post and we are the pointers.
I like that~!
WE are pointers
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