Boy, was I disappointed reading the article in the latest Townhall Magazine by Andrews of Random Notes Blog.  The premise was that there are no absolute values, and extrapolating from that the notion that we should base all values on relativism.  This is totally opposite common conservative values and viewpoints and besides that, completely incorrect.  The very fact that Andrews said there are no absolutes IS an absolute.  He stated that "all values are relative."  Well, this is the world view of the post-modern mind and I was extremely surprised and disheartened that a supposedly conservative magazine would support such a liberal ideology unchallenged on their pages.  So I must challenge it in this newly formed blog.

First of all there are absolutes.  There is absolute truth.  Truth is not relative.  People might not know the truth and therefore believe it to be relative to their situation or culture but that does not erase the absolute fact that absolute truth exists.  There is absolute morality whether Mr. Andrews believes it or not.  There is absolute good and that is God.  God is an absolute.  God's love is an absolute.  God's judgment is an absolute.  God gave us absolute laws (Ten Commandments) which if everyone in the world lived by and were governed by, societies would overall be content and blessed.  There is the absolute of sin and the absence of it.  There is the absolute that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" save one and that is Jesus.  There is the absolute that there is only one way to get to Heaven and that is through repentance and belief in Jesus Christ, and reliance on his blood sacrifice as a covering for our sin.  THAT is an absolute whether one believes it or not. 

 What Mr. Andrews fails to realize is that relativism is the means by which modern government programs, especially social programs, have come into existence, not absolutism.  It's the relativist's view that man will ultimately evolve into some sort of ascended being and that we need to help that evolution along with programs for the "betterment of society and one's fellow man."  Relativism is the child of atheism.  If there is no God, then there is no absolute truth or morality by which one may be judged.  This ideology makes all laws based on what power or sociological trend is current.  Unfortunately our blessed United States is headed in that direction all too swiftly.

Mr. Andrews states that "we end up with horribly misguided laws thanks to our belief in absolute values."  However, just the opposite is true.  Relativism causes life to lose its value and meaning.  It's because we have allowed relativism to almost extinguish absolute values that we are suffering in this country today with abortion (absolutely wrong), homosexual marriages (absolutely wrong), the teaching of perverse sexual practices in public schools (absolutely wrong), the protection of pornography under the Constitution (absolutely wrong), the glorification of man and secularism (absolutely wrong), the promotion of evolution even though it makes no sense scientifically and the ridicule of intelligent design (absolutely wrong), the hatred of all thing Christian--frequently referred to as "fundamental extremism" (absolutely wrong),  the idea that modern society and culture are the keepers of all things relevant (absolutely wrong), the revisionist histories which abound (absolutely wrong), the idea that it's okay to murder one life to save another as in embryonic stem cell research (absolutely wrong),  the frequent dependence by our government on world opinion to shape our laws and define our Constitution (absolutely wrong), the perversion of our Constitution (absolutely wrong) and so on and on and on.  Because we are aimed towards full-steam ahead socialism, relativistic policies will continue to chip away at our once bright and beautiful nation and plummet us into full scale degradation and loss of individual rights.  And this will ABSOLUTELY happen unless we the people do something to stop it...or, of course, unless Jesus returns first.

A gross example of what relavistic ideology can create is communism.  Although one might think communism as based on absolutism, it is nothing of the kind.  The bloodbath that accompanies communistic rule to subdue the populace is based on the simple idea that the end justifies the means (relativism).  Because communism is rooted in atheism, concerns over murdering hundreds of thousands, even millions of people, are slight because they don't believe in absolute values, i.e. the sanctity of life, a.k.a. "Thou shalt not murder."  Communists believe that what they are doing is for society's ultimate good and therefore opponents need to be eliminated, whatever the cost.  As said, the end justifies whatever means to achieve it.  That is relativism at its most malignant.  It ignores any concept of individual rights or worth.

You might consider the end justifies the means as an absolute statement but it isn't.  Communism is based on what is called dialectical materialism--that there is a constant battle of ideas and power going on with periods of stasis in the communist ideology.  It's always morphing until there is no need for government.  Until then the people are stuck with socialism and the government as god.  And judging from the absolute that man is a fallen creature and without Christ, a slave to sin, then man will always seek to overpower and control until God delivers us from this state.

So those of you who have believed that everything is relative - hopefully I have burst your bubble or at least caused you to rethink your position.  The question often naively posed is:  do you believe that stealing is wrong even if you are hungry or if your children are hungry?  Many would say, "No...not if the cause is right."  This is incorrect thinking.  Stealing is still wrong but sometimes people feel they must steal to survive or to achieve what they might consider a greater good.  It's a condition--not a value.  The absolute value that stealing is wrong has not changed - merely the thief's viewpoint which has become relative based on circumstances.  The victim of theft will say that a crime was committed.  The relativistic point of view regarding stealing is called in legalistic terms "mitigating circumstances."  It's amazing how many crooks, often persuading judges and juries of their own victimization, get off these days because of 'mitigating circumstances.'  This is because we no longer stand by absolute values but indeed have glorified relative values.  Those who believe in relativism should be happy because that is what holds sway over American politics and culture.