Friday, August 27, 2010

All Inclusive Truth Claims??

All truths and belief systems should be viewed as equal! We need to be totally inclusive! We need to be tolerant of all truth claims. No one belief system should try to convert others to itself.

All of the above beliefs seem to be the air that our culture breathes. It is the pool that we all soak in. Because it is everywhere, the temptation of viewing it as the only truth claim constantly assaults us!

We need to remember that the above claims are themselves the byproduct of the humanistic Enlightenment [oxymoron], which was only one truth claim amidst a multitude of others.

But some have adopted this one truth claim and put it on a pedestal. They act as if this one truth claim had absolute and universal authority over all humanity, even though their epistemology does not allow for this type of authority. In their thinking there is no heaven, or knowable heaven, so we can’t have a truth claim with “heavens” authority seal stamped onto it.

The real problem that I have with the Enlightenment's truth claims are they are a farce. They do not even listen to their own commands, and that is hypocrisy!

The Enlightenment ‘says’ that all beliefs systems should be viewed as equal, that we need to accept all truth claims, and we should be tolerant of all truth claims, there should be no monopoly truth claim, and that no one truth claim should try and convert others to it’s beliefs.

Does enlightenment truth claims practice what they preach? Is it totally inclusive? Does it really view all belief systems as equal?

Please stop and think for a moment.

What is the one thing that a totally inclusive belief system cannot accept and still remain totally inclusive?

An exclusive truth claim!

If everyone is massaging each others ego saying all truth is equal, and the new kid on the block comes in and says you are all wrong, can you let the new kid play? Nope, he has to go home, even if he has the ball. If you let him stay then he messes up your motto. The rest of you are all affirming that you are all alright, the trouble maker is saying you are severely confused.
So a belief system that ‘claims’ to be all inclusive really only accepts and is all inclusive with other truth claims that also profess to be all inclusive. The all inclusive camp cannot tolerate the truth claim that is exclusive in nature, even though as we are seeing, this exclusive nature grips everyone.

Everyone having fun yet?

No?

Sorry.

How does the all inclusive camp react towards those who hold an exclusive claim on truth and try and publicly push this view?

Do they quietly tolerate it?

Do they accept it as equal?

No! They vehemently oppose it! Calling it narrow mindedness!

They tell those with exclusive views that they should live and let live and shouldn’t try to push their truth claims on others.

Are your eyes quick enough? Did you catch it?

The person with the so called inclusive truth claim is doing the very thing that he is trying to prevent the person in the exclusive truth camp from doing. He says live and let live and don’t push your beliefs on the public, but then goes on to push his truth claims on the public...trying to convert the person in the exclusive camp into the inclusive camp.

Everyone who holds to a truth claim that is exclusive is supposed to be converted by those who claim to be inclusive, even though those who claim to be inclusive say we shouldn’t try and convert others to our beliefs.

In the end, there is no creature that is all inclusive…it is a mirage, an illusion.

Some people want to continue to display this illusion because it allows them the cover of tolerance…when in reality they are just as intolerant as those in the exclusive camp.

Those in the exclusive truth camp are open about their exclusivity.

Those who claim to be all inclusive really aren’t, in all of their inclusiveness they cannot bring themselves to include those exclude.

But they shoot themselves in the foot...showing that they really aren't all inclusive...they only include those who agree with their foundational presuppositions...the very thing those in the exclusive camp are also willing to do.

2 Comments:

Anonymous pinoy.pro said...

Pinoy culture has very interesting concepts on this subject

10:17 AM  
Blogger Amy Ulveland said...

Thought-provoking Dale. I think I've settled on the fact that there are 3 truths: your truth, my truth and everyone elses. Can there really be one "real" truth without agreement and recognition by all as "the" truth?

Disagreements continue to arise and wars ensue. What concerns me most is the extremest view that one has to fall into a specific category of thought. That there are no grey areas. I'm not promoting the watered-down and unrealistic notion of "tolerance." Frankly, this is where countries find themselves in trouble. If there are no standards set and no limitations to the freedom of thought and more importantly acting on these sentiments, we become victims of our own lack of values.

If you don't stand for something, you are bound to fall for anything.

That's all for now, lol.

Love,
Amy

10:34 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home