From: caralv@caralv.auto-trol.com (Carol Alvin)
Subject: Re: The arrogance of Christians
Lines: 72

vbv@r2d2.eeap.cwru.edu (Virgilio (Dean) B. Velasco Jr.) writes:
>In article <Apr.10.05.32.29.1993.14388@athos.rutgers.edu> caralv@caralv.auto-trol.com (Carol Alvin) writes:
> > ...
> >
> >Are all truths also absolutes?
> >Is all of scripture truths (and therefore absolutes)?
> >
> >If the answer to either of these questions is no, then perhaps you can 
> >explain to me how you determine which parts of Scripture are truths, and
> >which truths are absolutes.  
> 
> The answer to both questions is yes.

Perhaps we have different definitions of absolute then.  To me,
an absolute is something that is constant across time, culture,
situations, etc.  True in every instance possible.  Do you agree
with this definition?  I think you do:

> Similarly, all truth is absolute.  Indeed, a non-absolute truth is a 
> contradiction in terms.  When is something absolute?  When it is always
> true.  Obviously, if a "truth" is not always "true" then we have a
> contradiction in terms.  

A simple example:

In the New Testament (sorry I don't have a Bible at work, and can't
provide a reference), women are instructed to be silent and cover
their heads in church.  Now, this is scripture.  By your definition, 
this is truth and therefore absolute.  

Do women in your church speak?  Do they cover their heads?  If all 
scripture is absolute truth, it seems to me that women speaking in and 
coming to church with bare heads should be intolerable to evangelicals.  
Yet, clearly, women do speak in evangelical churches and come with bare 
heads.  (At least this was the case in the evangelical churches I grew 
up in.)

Evangelicals are clearly not taking this particular part of scripture 
to be absolute truth.  (And there are plenty of other examples.)
Can you reconcile this?

> Many people claim that there are no absolutes in the world.  Such a
> statement is terribly self-contradictory.  Let me put it to you this
> way.  If there are no absolutes, shouldn't we conclude that the statement,
> "There are no absolutes" is not absolutely true?  Obviously, we have a
> contradiction here.

I don't claim that there are *no* absolutes.  I think there are very
few, though, and determining absolutes is difficult.

> This is just one of the reasons why Christians defy the world by claiming
> that there are indeed absolutes in the universe.

> >There is hardly consensus, even in evangelical 
> >Christianity (not to mention the rest of Christianity) regarding 
> >Biblical interpretation.
> 
> So?  People sometimes disagree about what is true. This does not negate 
> the fact, however, that there are still absolutes in the universe.  

But you are claiming that all of Scripture is absolute.  How can you
determine absolutes derived from Scripture when you can't agree how
to interpret the Scripture?  

It's very difficult to see how you can claim something which is based 
on your own *interpretation* is absolute.  Do you deny that your own
background, education, prejudices, etc. come into play when you read the 
Bible, and determine how to interpret a passsage?  Do you deny that 
you in fact interpret?

Carol Alvin
caralv@auto-trol.com