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The Offensive Truth: Relativism and Our Kids
Breakpoint with Chuck Colson ^ | 6/20/2007 | Chuck Colson

Posted on 06/20/2007 8:58:09 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback

I was dismayed a while back when I learned that a Barna survey found that “less than one out of every ten churched teenagers has a biblical worldview.” But a survey is just that, a survey. Things couldn’t be that bad, could they? Well, I recently heard a shocking story that vividly illustrates just how far relativism has infected the Church—to the point where Christian kids balk at the idea that Christianity would claim to be, of all things, true.

Four years ago, the BreakPoint staff and I launched Centurions, an intensive, year-long education program designed to equip 100 people each year to defend a biblical worldview and teach it to others.

One of our Centurions participants takes that call very seriously as she works with students at a local middle school. She sponsors a Christian club at the school, voluntary of course, and in accord with all the state laws. The students lead the club, and she mentors those leaders.

The club has been studying the ReWired curriculum, which BreakPoint created with Ron Luce’s Teen Mania. The DVD explores the four basic worldview questions: Where do I come from? Why is the world in such a mess? Is there a way to fix it? Is there a purpose for my life?

Everything was going fine until the group reached lesson 10. Lesson 10 leads the kids through a series of choices to learn to recognize the difference between matters of truth and matters of taste. One of the choices, “believing Islam, Buddhism or Christianity,” flashed on the screen.

Our Centurion—I’ll call her Joanne, told me what happened next: “The students went nuts. All but one of the eight leaders completely balked at the concept of distinguishing Christianity as true and other religions as false.”

The next day when they met again, Joanne told the students leaders that they would not have to teach lesson 10 to other students if they didn’t believe it.

Joanne learned that several of the seventh graders had talked to their parents or pastors over night. But the result of those conversations was shocking. One girl had written a paper that night on “why we shouldn't hurt others feelings by claiming our way is right.” One young lady had met with her pastor, who told her no one can be sure of truth. “It is all perspective,” he said. The students agreed that they should not offend others by saying Christianity is true. Only one was prepared to teach it.

While Joanne respected the authority of the parents and pastors, she encouraged the students to continue to consider the concept of truth, reminding them that Christianity--like Islam and many other religions--makes an exclusive claim to truth. She also reminded them that the words “I am the way, the truth and the life . . . no man comes to the Father except by me,” were Jesus' words, not hers.

What I find really shocking here is what this story tells us about the state of discipleship, not just of our kids, but of parents and pastors. This story is a wake-up call. We must learn what we believe, why we believe it and then instill it into our children, giving them a biblical view of all of life. We can’t stand idly by while relativism undermines the faith of our kids and robs them of the one sure hope they have—and desperately need. Friends, if this story gets to you like it gets to me, it’s time we got busy.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: antichristian; anythinggoessociety; atheismandstate; breakpoint; chuckcolson; culturewar; moralabsolutes; moralrelativism; pcrunamok; publicschoolsatwork; relativism; tolerance; whereisyourgodnow
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To: cantfindagoodscreenname
I told her that Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me” and she was stunned. “HE SAID THAT???” She didn’t know that and was very surprised. I told her that you can’t be a Christian and believe that other religions are valid. You should have seen the lightbulbs go off in her head.

***

Universalism, that all ways and roads, gods lead to Heaven and all this moral religious relativism is deception from the pit of hell. It is blasphemy, a false idol, breaking of the commandment that we shall have no other Gods before us.

So called Christian churches teaching universalism are temples of satan and the demons in them hate Jesus Christ and certainly do not believe He is Lord, God, that His blood is the only payment for Sin, believing in Him the only Way of Salvation.

These demons speak with forked tongues perhaps saying with one breath that Christ Jesus is Lord and then with another breath will say that all religions and all gods will lead to salvation.

The wolves in sheep's clothing at these churches, no matter how many good works are performed, no matter how much money they pass out to the world’s needy, no matter how loved they may be - they are doing the work of satan - they are liars who are keeping people from hearing the real truth that hell awaits all who have not put their faith, hope and trust ONLY in the Lord Jesus Christ, His blood, His death on the cross as payment/atonement for Sin.

Paperdoll, you are right, this is a very clear, purposeful
goal and false, blashemous religion being aggressively pushed during these last days by world leaders (who pretend to come in the named of Christ our Lord) that will walk the lost right into believing in the end times beast and one world apostate religion.

61 posted on 06/21/2007 6:48:52 AM PDT by Esther Ruth
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To: Paperdoll

Oops - meant to say #61 to you also, I agree with you.


62 posted on 06/21/2007 7:00:39 AM PDT by Esther Ruth
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To: Vanders9

One of the problems with liberalism, particularly social liberalism, is that it must contradict itself to survive. For example, to attempt to bring about the equality liberals so desire, they must place themselves in a position of superiority to everyone else.

Arguments for moral relativism are also contradictory. How can someone be telling us the truth when he says “There are no truths”?

This is why liberal “tolerance” so quickly leads to intolerance. A society that’s tolerant of everything can’t exist as a society. So “tolerance” of homosexuality means that people who wish to only provide dating services to heterosexuals through their matchmaking business can’t be tolerated. Tolerating abortion means that the unborn child can’t be tolerated. And so on.

And then there are the famous double standards. Liberal tolerance means that it’s intolerant to have a male-only school, and that it’s intolerant to object to a female-only school. If you produce a work of art mocking Islam, you’re intolerant. If you produce one mocking Christianity, then it’s the Christians who object who are intolerant.

Then there are the paradoxes. If the Bible is God’s Word, should we not obey it? Liberals then chime in and say, “But not everyone believes the Bible is God’s Word!” Then does that mean they think it’s just the writings and opinions of men? “Yes”. Okay, then how is that different from any secular opinion?

Suppose that two people announce that owning a dog is wrong and such ownership should be banned. One says he thinks dog ownership is wrong because of a religious revelation from a deity. The other says he thinks dog ownership is wrong because, well....because he just came to that conclusion on his own. Would it be okay to ban dog ownership based on the latter opinion but not the former? Either way the practical effects are the same: Dog ownership is banned.

Liberals, of course, try to get around this by claiming that their opinions are somehow arrived at scientifically or objectively, while religiously-driven opinions are irrational and subjective. Thus, it’s okay for them to forcibly ram their opinions down the throats of others, but not for Christians to do so. Of course, this is just nonsense.

Ask a liberal if it’s wrong to discriminate against homosexuals. When he says “yes”, ask him to prove it in a laboratory. When he has time to get the “deer caught in the headlights” expression off his face, point out to him that he just has a different set of subjective, totally illogical and unscientific values than those he alleges to you.

The best test of how true something is is by observing how well it works. Liberals effectively concede this point when they call themselves “progressives”. Liberalism must present itself this way because it can never be traditional, and that’s because it doesn’t work. You can’t build a great civilization on “values” such as egalitarianism, wealth redistribution, pacifism, sexual license, or secularism.

Liberals must present their ideas as being new because they have no track record to run on. They then compound the dishonesty by asserting that conservatives wish to legislate their values while they (liberals) do not, which is simply untrue. But by presenting it that way, dullards and imbeciles are lured in, thinking they’ll be more free and more liberated in a liberal society. But in reality, liberals merely have a different list of things they are intolerant of and wish to ban. And as Harvard President Larry Summers found out, they’re ruthless when it comes to enforcement.


63 posted on 06/21/2007 7:14:02 AM PDT by puroresu
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To: puroresu
Liberals think it’s okay to seek truth as long as you never find it.

Did you make that line up? That'd make a great tagline or bumper sticker!

64 posted on 06/21/2007 7:16:35 AM PDT by Tired of Taxes (Dad, I will always think of you.)
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To: Tired of Taxes

I read it somewhere many years ago, but I can’t remember where or when. It is a great line, though, which is why I’ve always remembered it!


65 posted on 06/21/2007 7:21:32 AM PDT by puroresu
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To: Freedom_no_exceptions
Speaking of truth, meatball is the only acceptable pizza topping. Pepperoni, mushroom, sausage, and the like, are sins.

This doesn't even rise to the level of sophomoric.

66 posted on 06/21/2007 7:32:26 AM PDT by Aquinasfan (When you find "Sola Scriptura" in the Bible, let me know)
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To: ClearCase_guy

Cannibalism? Molestation? Mass Murder?
Sometimes people’s minds are so open their brains fall out.


67 posted on 06/21/2007 7:34:35 AM PDT by steve8714 ("A man needs a maid", my ass.)
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To: puroresu
Liberals think it’s okay to seek truth as long as you never find it.

LOL!

68 posted on 06/21/2007 7:34:44 AM PDT by Aquinasfan (When you find "Sola Scriptura" in the Bible, let me know)
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To: ClaireSolt
Today, for instance, Bush vetoed stem cell research on moral and ethical grounds. Hillary called that ideology, denying the quest for truth and asserting the subjective, instead.

Great example. I noticed that too. She's the true ideologue, since her ideology is more important to her than reality. But few viewers possess the intellectual tools necessary for evaluating her statement.

69 posted on 06/21/2007 7:37:55 AM PDT by Aquinasfan (When you find "Sola Scriptura" in the Bible, let me know)
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To: Freedom_no_exceptions
Anyone who puts meatball on pizza is clearly a heretic, and should be stoned!

We won't even discuss pineapple...
70 posted on 06/21/2007 7:38:45 AM PDT by LIConFem (Thompson 2008. Lifetime ACU Rating: 86 -- Hunter 2008 (VP) Lifetime ACU Rating: 92)
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To: Freedom_no_exceptions

So, your facetious post boils down to your opinion that

there is NO OBJECTIVE TRUTH,

and the only “truth” is how you as an individual feel about a topic or issue.

This is exactly what this article is about. Modern secular progressives teach your opinion, and are seeking the destruction of our society through those teachings.


71 posted on 06/21/2007 7:39:19 AM PDT by MrB (You can't reason people out of a position that they didn't use reason to get into in the first place)
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To: durasell
The end result is pretty much the same. Stem cell research will continue.

On the plus side, fewer people will be killed.

72 posted on 06/21/2007 7:39:23 AM PDT by Aquinasfan (When you find "Sola Scriptura" in the Bible, let me know)
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To: uptoolate

“Judge not, lest ye be judged”

Oh, how leftists LOVE this quotation. The REST of the passage says “and by the same measure”.

We must teach our children to make ACCURATE judgements, not to be “non-judgemental”.


73 posted on 06/21/2007 7:41:31 AM PDT by MrB (You can't reason people out of a position that they didn't use reason to get into in the first place)
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To: Freedom_no_exceptions

1) it doesn’t take that long to study something until you understand it
2) it proves the divine origin of the bible
3) he uses more math to show that the arrival of Jesus was predicted in a like manner

The Koran among other “holy” books, is not like this.


74 posted on 06/21/2007 7:41:50 AM PDT by ROTB (Our Constitution...only for a [Christian] people...it is wholly inadequate for any other.-J.Q.Adams)
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To: Vanders9
Our modern society has raised tolerance to be the highest of all virtues.

Next time, ask him/her if our society should tolerate intolerance.

Then walk away.

75 posted on 06/21/2007 7:42:08 AM PDT by Aquinasfan (When you find "Sola Scriptura" in the Bible, let me know)
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To: puroresu

“Liberals think it’s okay to seek truth as long as you never find it.”

I’m stealing it!

Yes, to my “liberal” mother in law, those who are most offensive are those that are firm in their beliefs.


76 posted on 06/21/2007 7:42:58 AM PDT by MrB (You can't reason people out of a position that they didn't use reason to get into in the first place)
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To: cantfindagoodscreenname
Then, for an example, I told her that Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me” and she was stunned. “HE SAID THAT???” She didn’t know that and was very surprised. I told her that you can’t be a Christian and believe that other religions are valid. You should have seen the lightbulbs go off in her head.

Excellent!

77 posted on 06/21/2007 7:45:24 AM PDT by Aquinasfan (When you find "Sola Scriptura" in the Bible, let me know)
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To: Aquinasfan

It is a wonderful teaching opportunity.


78 posted on 06/21/2007 7:46:01 AM PDT by ClaireSolt (Have you have gotten mixed up in a mish-masher?)
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To: uptoolate

“men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil”

That sounds like Someone is making a “judgement” there, right?

I ALWAYS complete the Biblical quote whenever I hear a lib say “judge not...”

“lest you be judged by the same measure”. I usually get a blank stare.


79 posted on 06/21/2007 7:48:21 AM PDT by MrB (You can't reason people out of a position that they didn't use reason to get into in the first place)
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To: MrB

####I’m stealing it!####

That’s okay! I stole it, too. I just can’t remember from whom! LOL!


80 posted on 06/21/2007 8:23:52 AM PDT by puroresu
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