To speak about absolute truth, we need to first define truth. According to the dictionary, truth is "a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like: (for example, mathematical truths.)" It is also defined as "ideal or fundamental reality apart from and transcending perceived experience: (for example, the basic truths of life.)"
For all practical purposes, truth can be defined as an understanding of reality that is internally harmonious and universally held to be accurate. From this point of view, truth has relevance and validity for all people.
And absolute truth is described as perfect truth existing beyond the bounds of time and space. It is held to be valid everywhere and for all time.
There is the view that "truth" is relative to a person's belief and personal disposition; and that no person's "truth" can be considered to be unique or privileged in preference to others. From this point of view, "absolute truth" does not exist. There are only subjective and indefinite answers to eternal questions that seek to define the purpose and meaning of life. The proponents of this view argue that there can be no reality; and therefore there can be no moral authority to judge an action as right or wrong. For this reason, whatever appears to be right in a particular situation is right, and what appears to be wrong in a particular situation is wrong. This is the teaching of "relativism", a doctrine that truth and morality are not absolute, but relative.
But the denial of absolute truth has more than a few serious logical problems. If we will "follow the train of thought to the station" we will find that it "derails."
Problem #1 -- Self-Contradiction
Those who would insist that there are NO absolutes are believing in an absolute. They are absolutely sure that there is nothing that is absolute. Such a philosophy is self-defeating and self-contradictory. Their statement of belief is, in itself, evidence against their belief!
Problem #2 -- Limited Knowledge
A human being, with a limited and finite mind, cannot make absolute negative statements. You can't say: "There are no dogs in Alaska" unless you have absolute knowledge of Alaska...every home, cave, etc. You would be forced to say: "With the knowledge I have now and the small evidence I have observed, I don't think there are any dogs in Alaska." (On the flip side, making an absolute positive statement is possible, because if we see dogs in Alaska, we could make the absolute statement "There are dogs in Alaska.") Likewise, a finite human cannot make the statement: "There is no God" (although many try), because they would have to have absolute knowledge of the entire Universe from beginning to end in order to know that. The best one could really do would be to say: "With the limited knowledge I have, I don't believe that there is a God." The same logic applies to the statement people make "There are no absolutes."
Problem #3 -- The Real World
Let us, for a moment, suppose that everything really is relative (no standards of any kind). That would mean that everybody does what they think is right--setting their own rules for life. The problem comes when one person's rules clash with another's. What if one person decides that killing is a noble thing to do, and so attempts to kill everyone in sight? If things are relative, then killing is just as right as not killing. Cruelty is equal to non-cruelty. Would you have a problem with that? Of course, most of us would.
When locked in the chambers of philosophy, we can kick around wild ideas about nothing really existing, or nothing being absolute. But the real world greets us when we emerge from that chamber--a world full of life and death, suffering and pleasure, evil and good. If there is no standard of truth in the Universe, then one can never be sure of anything. It is all an accident. We would be free to do as we please--rape, murder, steal, lie, cheat, etc. Who is to say that those things are wrong? A world without absolutes would be horrible indeed!
So, the other possibility--that there is indeed absolute truth in the Universe, can be our only other option. There must be a "reality" somewhere, that defines what is and what is not, what is right and what is wrong. In order for there to be absolute truth, there must be an authority that establishes that truth. You cannot have a law without a lawgiver. You cannot have a design without a designer.
If you believe in absolute truth then you must accept the idea of a Creator--someone made you and implanted in you a moral code--a conscience. Our conscience tells us that the world "should be" a certain way. It informs us that something is wrong with suffering, starvation, rape, pain, and evil. It informs us that love, generosity, compassion, and peace are positives for which we should strive.
The only rational explanation for the existence of such a "inner knowledge" is God. If one accepts the idea of God as Creator, then it becomes easy to understand where morality came from. Why do people disagree with innocent killing? Why are people repulsed by the idea of sexually abusing little children? Why do we think it is wrong to steal someone else's property? It is because God told us. Those morals certainly did not flow out of millions of years of chance evolution and the survival of the fittest-- in fact, evolution would teach us the exact opposite set of guiding principles! Evolution tells us to do whatever it takes to survive and get ahead...not to show love and compassion to the weak!
All the religions of the world are an attempt to give meaning and definition to life. They represent the fact that humanity is craving something "more" than physical existence. We want assurance for the future, hope for the afterlife, forgiveness for our sins, peace through our struggles, and answers for our deepest questions. Why do we want these things? It seems clear enough that the animal world is not pursuing philosophy or grappling with issues of eternity. If we are mere chance accidents, all flowing out of a common animal ancestor, why did we turn out with an insatiable desire to know and grasp reality? Religion is proof that mankind was built with something more...a higher purpose. There must have been a Creator who implanted in us this desire.
If you want to know what the absolute answers are, then get to know the One who has absolute knowledge. If you want the truth about the beginning of the world and the purpose we are on earth...talk to the One who was there! If you want to understand what standards we must follow as human beings, talk to the One who has defined reality! He becomes the standard for absolute truth.
“And in the alternation of night and day, and the provision (rain) that Allâh sends down from the sky, and revives therewith the earth after its death, and in the turning about of the winds are signs for a people who understand. These are the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, revelations, etc.) of Allâh, which We recite to you (O Muhammad SAW) with truth. Then in which speech after Allâh and His Ayât will they believe? [Quran, Chapter 45, Verse 5-6]
{This article is a compilation of the following two articles:
http://www.onislam.net/english/ask-about-islam/faith-and-worship/islamic-creed/168431-knowledge-and-absolute-truth-any-relation.html
http://www.absolutetruth.net/2008/02/proof-for-absol.html }
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