From: emery@tc.fluke.COM (John Emery)
Subject: Re: Yes, I'm sure.
Organization: John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc., Everett, WA
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 17:42:25 GMT

In article <1992Nov16.193353.4639@leland.Stanford.EDU> mirage@leland.Stanford.EDU (Dean Joseph Sanvitale) writes:
>
>Yes, I am sure, but not absolutely.

If you're not absolutely sure that there is an absolute truth, then
you must admit that there is a possibility that there is an absolute 
truth.

Quick, let's jump off now before this ride gets going too fast :-).

Seriously, last time this topic was discussed, it seemed that we got
to a point where people here on the net either said that it was beyond
our knowledge or it was silently consented that there are actions and
behaviors that are right or wrong.  For example, cold-blooded murder
was an action that is wrong.  Deep down inside, we know that there is
a right and a wrong.  For example, no one here on the net thought it
would be a good idea to remove all civil law and its enforcement.  And
civil law sets limits on certain types of behavior.  We see in a practical
sense that limits to behavior and action are beneficial for us.  

What keeps us from randomly murdering an innocent person?  What keeps us
from raping, from stealing, from cheating, from lying?  What moves us
to love, to care for others, to be kind, to be compassionate?  Isn't
there something programmed inside of us?  Don't we have within us a sense
of right and wrong?

Isn't it also true that these programs can be overriden?  For instance,
we do things that *we* know our wrong.  Our own hearts are our judge.
Even though we know something is right, we may fail to do it.  Even though
we know something is wrong, we may still do it.  And in our heart we know
the difference.  Sometimes these programs get overriden to an extreme and
a person may totally reverse their program.  Is that not why we need such
laws that limit behavior?  Who out there would not agree that it is *good*
to limit the behavior of a serial killer?  Look at most serial killers,
after killing many innocent people, they turn around and kill themselves.
Perhaps there is an overwhelming sense of despair and hopelessness in what
they had done.

Just observing what we as humans are like points to the probability of
an absolute truth.  How many of us live lives of perfect love?  Yet, there
seems to be this standard apart from what we are not able to attain.  We 
strive to live up to it, yet we fall short.

Look at religion.  Religion continually reinforces the presence of a right
and a wrong.  Sure there are different approaches to it.  Yes, even, in
the Newage the idea of Karma is upheld.  Basically, if you do what is good,
good will come upon you.  If you do what is bad, the same will befall you.
Is that not why the doctrine of reincarnation exists.  This belief says 
that a person gets many lives to grow and to fix there past life mistakes.
Yet why would a person need another life in the first place?  Is it not
because of the failure to live up to the standard of what is right?  Think
about it.  Look a Wicca, for example.  They teach that which you do will
come back to you three-fold.  A Wiccan will not associate themselves with
black magic or satanism.  Why?  Because satanism has perverted right and
wrong.  So even within paganism, there is a sense of right and wrong,
although it is seldomly admitted.

Where am I going with all this?  The sense of right and wrong is so 
embedded in us that it follows us wherever we go, even when we try not
to look at it.

Why then would one not want to admit that an absolute truth exists?
It would seem to me that it is because it would make us accountable
to the source of this absolute truth, whom we know as God.  God is
the title of the one who is absolute authority and divinity.

But were one to consider of this, it would seem reasonable to submit
ourselves to this absolute authority.  For instance, think for a
moment, what do we know of absolutes.  Well, we know the following
to be good: love, kindness, compassion, mercy, caring, fairness, and
to limit bad behavior.  And know of that which is not good: murder,
theft, destruction of the innocent, strife, envy, injustice, etc.
Would it not make sense, that the author of this absolute truth
(God) be like this absolute truth?  God is loving, kind, compassionate,
merciful, caring, fair, and judges and limits bad behavior.  And
what is not good is what God is not like.  And if God is good, then
it would be quite beneficial to submit ourselves to this goodness.

Think of Jesus.  He has been the only recognized spiritual leader to
convince a great portion of the world that He is absolute truth (God).

God bless,
-- 
John Emery		"You say we've risen to a new age of light.
emery@tc.fluke.COM       You're telling me what used to be wrong
			 is now right."