The Evangelical Universalist Forum

is absolute truth multi-dimensional ?

Theology Philosophical
#1

I have thought deeply over the years regarding absolute truth !, and have compiled in my mind a theory that goes along those lines, I must confess that a comment on here by a prominent Author and member revised with-in me to re-examine the theory, he effectively said that universalism is just another legitimate version of christianity !, I recall thinking at the time, ‘‘how on earth can you say that ?, when Paul seems to scream the exact opposite’’ with his

‘‘teach and INSIST on these things’’ (with-in the context of a universalist passage) !!! :slight_smile: (out of respect I won’t mention you) but I have over the years toyed with the theory that absolute truth (’‘IN THE HERE AND NOW’’) is fluid !, essentially meaning that different people will (or are meant to) view certain issues in certain ways !, I do suppose it could be compared to post-modernism in a sense, but it is a tad different !, perhaps not all truth but some issues are, hence Calvinists are meant to view the things they view, exactly the way they are meant to view them, Because GOD (at this stage) wants them to view it that way !.

Baptists are meant to view the things they view the way they view them, fully believing they are absolutely true ! :smiley: and so on and so forth. some are meant to believe x some are meant to believe y

now if you go along with this theory even in a general sense I have to ask why I feel despised and rejected :astonished: not by all but certainly by most

#2

perhaps my ‘‘more like Jesus post’’ was more profound that I first imagined ! :astonished:

#3

StuartD - this is one of my ‘stupid days’ wherein I have trouble connecting dots. Most days I connect dots well, some days not. It is NOT an age thing!!! I hope… :smiley:

Anyway, I’m hoping you can kind of re-cast what you’re getting at? I think you’re onto a good line of thinking, but I’m not sure I get it, exactly.

Thanks

#4

I’m afraid (at this stage) “Because GOD (at this stage) wants them to view it that way” just doesn’t jell for me… of course I could be wrong. :wink:

I can’t see to what purpose diametrically opposed understandings can be held by a person with only time being the difference between the two and yet both in their day held and cherished as revelations from God… only then for one to be discarded for the other; and how countless such a scenario?

I’m of the opinion WE gravitate to and grasp certain realities which we then ascribe as “truth” because of the religious “context” of our lives at that given point.

IF God has a problem with US it isn’t so much with what we believe as it is with what we do… trouble is (for us) what we DO is driven so much by what we believe. IOW, any discrepancy lies on our side not God’s, IMO.

#5

Hi Stuart - I too am not too sure I understand your O.P. nor on which side of the fence you sit, but I’m interested.
I know MacDonald was a great proponent of progressive revelation and if this is necessary for an entire society (as was the context when I last read him), I don’t see why it might not also be the way for one soul’s journey. That said, I suppose it still leads to one final absolute truth although, along the way, different perspectives may be correct for each particular soul in order for that soul to journey in the right direction. Don’t know if any of that made sense.

#6
#7

your kinda on the same track I think Pilgrim, see my above response !

#8

I’m hoping my above replies go some way to helping you connect the dots, if it doesn’t please feel free to ask again

#9

perhaps taking the theory to the extreme, suppose he wanted Geoffrey Dalmer to be a serial killer ! (for several reasons) would it not get him to the point of complete brokenness !, would he not be at the point of complete sorrow realising the gravity of the hurt he caused ?, mind you I also think a large part of the reason why evil exists is to get one to grow a backbone ! :unamused:

in the case of atheists (if my theory has merit) would it not make sense that an intelligent GOD would ‘‘at this stage’’ want them to totally disbelieve in him ?

#10

in a similar fashion to the atheists comment above, perhaps some christians were meant to make theological mistakes :astonished: , perhaps for some perhaps even a lot are meant to ‘‘work’’ for their salvation (unwittingly if you will) , perhaps some verses are more true for some but less true for others !
like

‘‘whom the Lord has set free is free indeed’’, how can one be said to be ‘‘free’’ unless one is also free to sin ?, perhaps some are meant to strive for sinlessness and others don’t have to !, hence some believe in a version of perfectionism !, perhaps those who follow the JW’s were meant to believe those things, perhaps he made some who naturally gravitate towards certain beliefs knowing that beliefs system is what they need to believe in absolute ‘‘in the here and now’’ in order to bring them to humility :wink: