Post-Modern Stop Signs?
Many say that the majority of Americans today embrace a post-modern worldview. To give a definition and brief history:
The Post-Modern period can be classified from 1950 to the present.
The central Figure Friedrich Nietzsche (pictured here)
The starting point is knowledge over and above reality.
Logic is not employed in this worldveiw. (by logic I mean the science and study of reason)
Values are determined by the person...
There is No objective truth
For example, proponents of this view are not after the authorial intent of the writers of the biblical literature, but simply what the writing means to them!
There is No objective morality
- A Pragmatic Theory of truth is employed. (This simply means that what works, for the individual, is therefore true.)
- Science is minimized and weight is given to the community to decide truth.
- The general rule in interpretation of material that claims objective truth (the Bible) is Suspicion .
Now, to the stop signs. My question is...why do people, who espouse a post-modern worldview stop at stop signs? Do you know any post-moderns who decide whether the red octagon with white capital letters reading STOP is meaning stop to them, or some alternate meaning of "stop" which would mean something different? Of course not! Stop signs are a universal symbol that convey a very specific truth. There is no room for interpretation. Truth is truth!
Or what about post-modern doctors? Imagine a surgeon saying to his patient "The MRI shows cancerous tumors, but I think you are going to be just fine!" Does this change the fact that tumors exist in the person? Absolutely not! The doctor is clearly placing his opinion over and above the objective truth of the MRI machine.
I say this to prove that the post-modern mindset is simply a ploy to avoid the clear, objective truth found in the Bible. No one really would use this "logic" in any other area of life, would they? So, be careful the next time you hear someone say..."well, to me God is like....or to me this verse means..." There is truth and there is falsehood. Jesus prayed in John 17:17..."Father, sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth!" Truth is objective and it is only found in the Word of God through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Remember that the next time you stop at a stop sign!
Amen Travis... what a wonderful post... very refreshing. And you are so right... the post-modern thinking that seems to be taking over the mindset of everyone around us, to me, seems to be far more dangerous than just blatent, outright, disputes against the Word... for this one allows for everyone to be "happy" or "satisfied", making it an incredibly attractive idea that so many are willing to take up. And that is a very scary and deceptive thing. Thanks for the good mental picture to help us remember to warn and guard against this!
Posted by
Rebekah |
5:37 PM
Post a Comment