Absolutes obsolete
Buying truth like one does dim sum at kiosks on the street
A little bit of this
A little bit of that
Something fried
Something steamed
Something salty
Something sweet
All to satisfy each craving I have
All to suit my own personal needs
This I don’t like so I’ll leave it alone
But that I adore so it’s coming home
Morality, shmorality
It’s all relative, you see
What may be truth for you
Isn’t truth for me
Really?
Just some thoughts on post-modern ideas and relativism. I’m not an expert or anything on the topic, but so interested in learning more. What are your thoughts on the topic? On post-modernism? On relativism?
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Published by stacilys
I’m just a simple girl that is passionate about being relevant and making a difference in this world.
World traveler, lover of bright sunny days, experiencing cultures, good friends and conversation. I love my God and love my family.
I don’t believe that I have the Truth, but that I have a relationship with Truth and want to be closer to Him.
Canadian, born and raised in Vancouver, BC. YWAMer since 2000 and have traveled and lived all over the world –Hong Kong, China, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Turkey, Germany, Argentina, Australia and The USA.
I moved to Brazil in 2002, married an awesome “Baiano”, Daniel, and we have two adorable kiddies, Caue and Hannah.
I am certified in fitness and nutrition and conducted physical conditioning classes while working with an arts and evangelism team and schools. I am also certified in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and TEYL (Teaching English to Young Learners).
"A God Coloured Girl in a Grey World" is my blog where I write articles based on my faith, post fitness routines, recipes and other health and wellness stuff. You can also check out a bit of my music at www.myspace.com/stacilys
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stacilys.wordpress.com 
Stacy, gostei bastante desse poema. Principalmente o trecho onde fala sobre comprar verdades. Penso que hoje tudo é comercializado, até o nosso tempo “livre” é preenchido por entretenimentos que nos são vendidos como produtos. Igualmente as verdades são tratadas como algo totalmente volátil e que se pode comprar e descartar a qualquer momento. Penso que na pós-modernidade ganhamos no fato de desmistificarmos valores que não eram de fato absolutos. Existem coisas que realmente são relativas e devem ser tratadas como tal. Na questão da fé no Cristianismo, temos Paulo dizendo algo parecido com “a fé que você tem, tenha pra você mesmo”. Ou seja, existe algo relativo até mesmo na fé que pode variar de pessoa pra pessoa. Por outro lado, vemos valores universais, muito importantes sendo relativizados, daí assistimos todos os dias a banalização das coisas, dos seres humanos, de coisas essenciais à vida.
Achei muito importante a discussão que o seu poema traz. Parabéns!
Grande abraço!
Muito obrigada pelo seu ótimo comentário. Pois é Adriano, os entretenimentos tb são bem rasos. Principalmente na televisão, não tem muito que tem substância. Como você sabe, hoje-em-dia estou bem interessada em Francis Schaeffer. Ele fala muito sobre a cultura e como afeta a arte e a música. No primeiro século depois de Cristo, a arte era bem feito. Teve um valor de fazer as coisa bem feitas e belas. Não qualquer jeito como a gente ve hoje. Coisas mal feitas, música e arte sem substancia. Parece que não tem um foco de trabalhar bem e produzir qualidade. Uma falta de ‘coram deo’. Não sei muito do assunto ainda, mas vou continuar lendo e me educando.
Em relação do relativismo, sim, eu concordo. Antigamente coisas que não eram pra ser absolutos tornaram absolutos, quando deveriam ter sido relativos. Eu acho que a questão é o que é substancial e o que é absoluto. O problema de hoje é que parece que as pessoas não aceitam mais os absolutos. Francis Schaeffer falou sobre a primeira igreja. Eles encontravam em casas, comeram juntos, cantaram músicas, e o foco principal era a leitura da Bíblia. As pessoas acreditavam no velho testamento com a verdade. Não pela experiencia religiosa ou espiritual, mas como a verdade absoluta de Deus. E hoje ein… A gente ve isso na igreja de hoje? Hmmmm
Obrigada mais uma vez Adriano. Você está enriquecendo a conversa aquí.
Abraços =)
I remember having a discussion with a friend of mine about this and how it relates to art. He argued that throwing water balloons filled with water against a canvas was as much art as is The Last Supper. You see, he was an aspiring bassist and I was an experienced bassist. Having adopted his posture of relativism made his bass playing equal to mine. It didn’t matter that I had studied and he didn’t, that I worked hard and he didn’t. In more serious matters, I feel that relativism is an abdication of responsibilities and truths.
Very interesting. Have you heard of Francis Schaeffer? I’ve really been getting into him lately. I really want to start reading all of his books. I have been watching a documentary on Youtube called. “How Should We Then Live” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKWFfMFcZgo#aid=P-WSLeF1p8g). It’s five hours long, but well worth it. At least for me that is. I’m a Christian so I find it very interesting and eye-opening what he has to say.
Your friend though, oh my goodness. Unfortunately, now-a-day, anything goes. Sometimes it seems as though it’s an excuse, all in the name of being contemporary. I can understand that art doesn’t necessarily have to be beautiful. Art is the expression of human creativity and imagination (dictionary def). However, it is also something that ought to be done with skill.
Thanks for your input on this Rob.
=)
Excellent thoughts on the times in which we live. Thanks!
You’re very welcome Levi. And thank you for appreciating and reading.
=)
It just another attempt to put “I” at the center of the universe. It does have a positive. It rejects “science” as the only explanation for reality. Thus providing a door through which the Gospel can step through.
One of our greatest, if not humanity’s greatest, faults, “narcissism”. In Portuguese there’s an expression, “olhando para seu proprio umbigo”. It mean, looking at your own belly button. I think it’s pretty well self explanatory, wouldn’t you say?
Yah, I guess that would be a positive. It leaves room open for thought and an acceptance of historical happenings as evidence, beyond scientific proof.
Thanks for the great comment Rita.
=)
“We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” – (Acts 5:32)
“The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14).
He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself……….He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:25-27,45-49
Amazing thing, that God himself is our teacher of the things of God. Trying to understand Him without his help is foolish and futile.
Haha. Well said Rob. We can’t possibly understand Him with our own little tiny finite minds. Even Josh McDowell said that it wasn’t his intellectual searching that convinced him of Christ as Truth. I’ve been reading a book called, “Apologetics for a new generation”, which was compiled by Sean McDowell, but each chapter is written by different writer. On, of course, is from Josh McDowell. Check out what he said, “Most people assume I came to Christ through the intellectual route. Certainly, there can’t be more than a few people who have documented more evidences for the faith than I have. And yet, all the evidence I have documented–on the reliability of the Bible, the deity of of Jesus Christ, and the evidence for the resurrection–never brought me to faith in Christ. That’s right. The evidence did not bring me to Christ. The evidences got my attention, but it was God’s love that drew me.”
It’s a great book Rob. If you get the chance, get it and read it. It’s really awesome, and relevant for today.
Blessings =)
Staci
I love this, Staci! We talk about this a lot in my Bible class with my 12th grades. This is the anthem of our culture, and we are so used to having so many ‘equal’ choices. God forbid someone gives an absolute statement. Thanks for sharing this. Standing for absolute truth is an uphill battle. Thanks for speaking out! xxo
Hey Kate. That’s great that you guys talk about this with the students. So important for them to understand the culture we’re living in today. I’ve recently started getting into Francis Schaeffer and I’m loving it. I want to study more and more on this topic.
Thanks for the comment Kate, and I’ll make sure to keep speaking out. Who knows how, but somehow I will.
=)
A good contest…absolutes obsoletes. Life is all about relativity…things are compared with time and with others, Little bit of this and little bit of that…I liked it. It happens what truth is right for me may not be the case for you…
Yes, in today’s world where things are evaluated on its amount not on its value and things are purchased based on its look not it’s outlook…it is the relative perspective what counts.
Hi Nihar. Actually, I wrote this poem thinking about post-modernism and it’s impact on society. I, for one, believe in abolutes. I don’t believe one can ‘create’ their own truth. Like as if what’s universally true for one, isn’t for another. I believe that truth is to be discovered. There are many things that can be relative, definitely. But when it comes to many areas, absolutes are necessary. Maybe you’d be interested in this post I wrote some time back, https://stacilys.wordpress.com/2014/01/31/truth-can-be-created-hmmmmmm/. It goes deeper into my thoughts on the subject.
Thanks Nihar for sharing your thoughts on this. I’m so glad you did. I would love it if you would read the above link and let me know your views if you have time.
🙂
I fully agree and endorse your view that truth is absolute and we all can discover it..and yes, truth is universal and it remain so in that form in the minds of people across the globe.
Thinks have changed and changed so rapidly in the post modernism, it difficult to decipher and understand the various patterns and its immediate and long term impact on the core and culture of our society…it is a fundamental transformation that is underway and we need to wait and observe the changes and it’s implications…society evolves and our thinking goes through major changes and we need to absorb those changes to appreciate its true value…
Yes, I will go through the link and give my perspective…