To me, the funny thing is that this idea of "postmodernity" is fairly recent -- that modernity ended in the late 20th century [1980s or early 1990s]. Those of us who are older can actually see that mindset taking hold in our younger generations. But the idea of Truth is certainly thousands of years older than that, right? How did we so quickly reject what passed as Truth for centuries before ?
Of course, as a Christian, I know God as the ultimate definition of Truth. In fact, the website Got Questions tells us the Greek word for truth is aletheia, meaning "divine revelation", and it is related to another word that literally means "what can't be hidden." The Hebrew word for truth is emeth, which means "firmness, constancy, and duration" -- the idea that truth is established and unchanging; there is an understanding that it is universally valid and the ultimate reality.
Think about this: the opponent [and opposite] of Truth is Lies. We get a clear picture of that dynamic when Jesus is brought before the Sanhedrin for trial by religious men who didn't like the Truth He spoke because it threatened their livelihood and power. They renounced, rejected, and subverted the truth [with lies] in order to destroy it. But they had no legal right to eliminate Truth, so Jesus found Himself standing before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea. They played verbal judo over Jesus's kingship, until Jesus pronounced,"You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the Truth. Everyone who is of the Truth hears My voice" ... to which Pilate responded with the question that has resounded throughout the world, "What is truth"?
As Creator of the world, the Father and Jesus established their Truth as the foundation of a righteous, good, virtuous and ethical world that was meant to benefit everyone. It is [and was meant to be] an established foundation that would guide mankind into a morally right and virtuous life in relationship with their Creator; a life that would last for eternity. I believe that many things can have elements of truth about them, but there is only one thing that is at the root and origin of Truth. And that is God. Truth began with Him.
I saw an interesting video on social media when a learned Christian spoke to a young woman who claimed to be an atheist, not believing that God was real or existed. But the Christian asked her if she could agree that if she looked upon a painting, she had to admit that there was a painter who had painted it; that there was an originator of that work of art; it didn't just appear out of nothing. That painting began with an idea from the painter and he or she established the beginning and foundation of that painting. Its existence was founded and developed by the painter, and the substance [the fundamental quality and heart of the painting] belong to the painter. Other pretenders or false artists can copy that painting and add their own elements to it and try to change its intrinsic appearance, but at its core, it still belongs to the painter.
That relationship exists between God and Truth. It was His work that established the earth and everything in it. It is His Truth that is the foundation upon which the earth and mankind rests. We don't determine God's Truth; we discover it as He reveals it to us. We don't invent our version of His Truth; we follow what He has given us. God's Truth is a very real and definitive set of instructions by which we are to live our lives. It is based on His all-knowing wisdom and knowledge -- not on what we decide works best for us. That is why it benefits mankind when we obey His commandments and His Word ... everyone understands what is desired of us from the One who created us, which creates a Biblical worldview that everyone can agree on, eliminating strife and disagreements.
I recently read an article in Harbinger's Daily, which quoted George Orwell: "The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it". And remember when I said the opposite of Truth is Lies? Well, we have an Enemy who is the Father of Lies, and his goal is to attack God's Truth any way he can. His favorite ways are to distort it and corrupt it; changing the original context of Truth into his version, which is full of lies ... such as we are not created, but we evolved; a fetus is just a clump of cells, not a baby; and you are not born a specific gender -- the decision is yours. All this masking and distorting of God's Truth results in a perverted worldview. And it is not limited to the secular world.
Did you know that there is now a societal stance [or viewpoint] called a "cultural Christian"? And did you know that it can be adopted by people as diverse as Richard Dawkins, the well-known atheist and Elon Musk, who has become an icon of technology and innovation in the realms of the economy, national security, social discourse, and the future of humanity? But what does Musk mean by identifying as a cultural Christian? Again, Harbinger's Daily revealed an interview with Jordan Peterson, in which Elon said this: "While I'm not a particularly religious person, I do believe that the teachings of Jesus are good and wise ... there's a tremendous wisdom in turning the other cheek." He went on to say he's a "big believer in the principles of Christianity", and thereby identified as "probably a cultural Christian."
But, Elon, giving a nod to the teachings of Jesus isn't the same as surrendering your life to Him, and receiving Him as your Savior. In that sense, you are refusing to accept God's Truth -- His complete and comprehensive Truth. You can't cherry-pick which of His "principles" you want to follow, while rejecting others, and have the right to call yourself a Christian. While the article says Musk believes he's found some truth in Jesus, he's yet to discover that Jesus Christ is the truth! While the religion of Christianity fulfills his curious nature and gives him greater enlightenment, Musk is missing out on the core message of Jesus's teachings: mankind needs the redemption from our sins that Jesus provides by His sacrifice on our behalf.
All these thoughts and opinions on Truth not anchored in the Originator are just that ... opinions. Without believing in the preeminent and authoritative Truth of God [as stated in the Bible]; the Truth that has established absolute and supreme morality, then men will create and build their own foundation of truth on shifting ground. You cannot try to live with half your heart in agreement with the culture and the other half according to the principles in the Bible. Because what is your foundation? God's Word or man's flawed, narcissistic creation of his particular truth? You will not be able to stand in times of trouble. There's a battle coming, and we must fight it in Truth and Spirit. The Culture will not defend us.
Joshua 24:15 Choose this day who you will serve, whether ... the gods ... in whose land you dwell [or] ... the Lord"
