What Is 1 The Belt Of Truth
The Belt of Truth
The first piece of armorin our arsenal Paul mentions in Ephesians 6:14 is “the belt of truth” (New International Version).
What purpose did the belt serve for a Roman soldier? What purpose does the belt of truth serve for us?The Belt is not the most noticeable piece of the armor, however, it is actually the central piece that holds all the rest securely in place and provides for every need during battle. The belt was broad and made of sturdy leather. From it hung an overlapping skirt of leather straps which on the inside surface were armored with small rectangular pieces of metal held in place by decorative rivets which showed on the outside. Also from the belt hung specialized hooks and holders on which to secure the scabbard that contained the sword at the proper angle, the quiver which held lances, and an apparatus on which to rest the large battle shield. Also, on the belt were clips with which to hold the breastplate in its proper place. Supplies of bread, oil and water were also on the belt.We have to bear in mind that the soldier's belt or girdle strapped round his waist' it encircles his loins and was the item of armour strapped on first. As well as protecting him, it supported much of his other armour and equipment. It was an indispensable item. Scripture tells usStand your ground, putting on the belt of truth
This is easy to understand. One of Satan’s greatest offensive tactics is to deceive us; since Satan is said to be the "father of lies"John 8:44
44 For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.Proverbs 6:16-1716 There are six things the Lord hates- no, seven things he detests:17 haughty eyes (proud), a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent,Colossians 3:9 says:"Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices."Lying is listed in 1Timothey 1:9-11 as something practiced by the lawless. 9 For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders10 The law is for people who are liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching11 that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessJesus called Himself the way, the truth, and the lifeJohn 14:66 Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.and He expects those who follow Him to be people of truth. The truth is to be expressed in loveEphesians 4:1515 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church., offering hope to those seeking redemption from the lies of the world.Deception is high on the list of things God considers to be an abomination. A "lying tongue" is one of the things He describes as "detestable to Him" We are therefore encouraged to put on truth for our own sanctification and deliverance, as well as for the benefit of those to whom we witness. A belt holds the other pieces of clothing and armour together. It secures the outfit and allows a soldier to move freely. Truth both secures us and gives us freedomJohn 8:3232 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.".With the belt of truth around our waists, we are prepared to defend against the temptation to tell a lie no matter how small it may be.This truth also applies to the way we live our lives.When we live with honesty and integrity, the other pieces of our armour ÔÇô what could be considered our spiritual selves ÔÇô stay intact.
A life of integrity is not easily torn apart; integrity keeps your life together.
What was the belt used for in the Roman army?Girded With Truth
When the apostle Paul describes the armour of God, he is talking about more than a simple set of helpful tips. He is talking about the impregnable defences of the Almighty God. These are keys to withstanding the attacks and onslaughts of Satan the devil. They are ultimate and infinitely powerful tools available to us as Christians.
And he chooses to begin describing that set of armour by talking about…a belt?
Why, of all things, a belt? He could have started with the mighty sword of the Spirit, the towering shield of faith, the shining breastplate of righteousness-anything but some measly old belt. But he didn’t. So that begs the question-why?
The belt-known as the cingulum or balteus-played a crucial role in the effectiveness of a soldier’s armor. It was the belt that held the scabbard, without which there would be no place to put a sword. Imagine an overzealous soldier, fired up and charging out into battle-but without his belt, and consequently without a weapon!
In addition, the Nelson Study Bible says from the belt “hung strips of leather to protect the lower body.” The Matthew Henry Commentary says the belt “girds on [secures] all the other pieces of our armor.” Truth should cleave to us as a belt cleaves to our body.
What is truth?
John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
Jesus, praying to the Father, gives a clear and straightforward definition of truth: God’s Word. The Holy Bible (Scripture-the word of truth) was given by inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16). The Greek expression translated “inspiration of God” literally means “God-breathed”! He actively and fully inspired the Bible to reveal His truth to us.
His promises, His commands, His word-they are all truth, plain and simple. After all, Isaiah 14:2727 The Lord of Heaven's Armies has spoken- who can change his plans?When his hand is raised, who can stop him?"If God says something, there is no force that can stop Him from doing it-we can rest assured that it will be done.
What does truth have to do with a belt?
1 Thessalonians 5:2121 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.
As Christians, we are to test all things and then hold on only to that which is good-the truth-discarding all else. We are to be like the Bereans who “searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so”Acts 17:11. If we are not convinced that our principles and beliefs are without exception 100 percent true, how can we expect to accomplish anything?
Proverbs 3:3-43 Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.4 Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.A belt encompasses the waist. Does our conviction to the truth encompass us? As the above scripture puts it, truth must be bound around us and written on our hearts-our conviction must reach beyond an outward show.
The belt used in Roman armour, as we have learned, provided a place for the soldier’s sword. Our sword-the sword of the Spirit-likewise needs a sheath. Truth is vital because, like a Roman soldier’s belt, it allows us to carry the sword of the Spirit and use it effectively.
What other lessons can we learn from the biblical analogy of having our waist “girded” by a belt?
Luke 12:35-3735 "Be dressed (gird your waist)for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.37 The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron(gird Himself), and serve them as they sit and eat!Christ told us to always be watching and ready for His return.
1 Peter 1:1313 So prepare your minds(gird up the loins of your mind)for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to theworld.
Peter used an interesting analogy: “Gird up the loins of your mind.” This implies tucking in long garments to be ready to move quickly. The New International Version translates it as “prepare your minds for action.”
What are the dangers of not wearing the belt?
Romans 12:22 Don't copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.The world we live in teaches that truth is what we make it also that good and bad are relative and that there are no absolutes, only equally valid opinions. But the Bible teaches that truth is God’s Word-that good and bad are defined by Him and that there are eternal and unchangeable absolutes, uninfluenced by opinions.
Paul wrote to the Romans telling them to “not be conformed to this world.” Part of that means not buying into a system of belief that says absolute truth is a myth. As Christians, we know both that there is truth and that it is absolute.
2 Timothy 2:1515 Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.
Imagine a belt with a segment missing. No matter how tiny the sliver that isn’t there, the belt is still useless. For the belt to do its job, it must be one continuous, unbroken piece.
Now imagine living a way of life that Scripture don’t completely agree with. Maybe it doesn’t seem like a big deal-after all, perhaps it's only a few minor points that you’re not sure about?
It is a big deal. To try and live God’s way without total belief in its validity is like trying to hold your sword up with a belt that isn’t continuous. Neither will work. Our trust in God and His Word must be solid, without break, or else we will quickly find ourselves without a weapon. No matter how effective the rest of our armour is, we are useless without our sword. We need to be totally aware of the truth in the word of God -knowing what we believe, and why we believe it.
We must never assume that this item of armour refers simply to our sincerity or our telling the truth as opposed to telling lies. If we were dependent on these for our protection we would be in trouble. No. It refers to God's truth, that is, the sum total of the truth that God has revealed in his written word
[John 17:17]. This truth is indissolubly and intimately connected with Jesus Christ. [John 1:14, 17; 8:32,36, 38-47; 14:6-9; Colossians 2:3.]
It is the ploy of the evil one, and the practice of those he has deceived to suppress or deny the truth of God
Romans 1:18, 21-23, 25, 28; 2Corinthians 4:2-4; Ephesians 4:17-19]. It is the truth ÔÇô God's self-revelation ÔÇô that sustains, protects and directs us, and it is this truth that sets us free from the dominion of our enemy Satan.
Satan always seeks to deceive, sometimes he would be subtle and then other times he would blatantly alter the truth, to turn us away from, or corrupt our knowledge of God. In our society today, and sadly to some extent in the church, we can see this undermining and corruption of the truth occurring at a number of significant levels:
Denial or playing down the supernatural and exaltation of the human.
Dependence on human reason.
The search for substitute gods.
Dependence on the mystical or experiential.
Absence of absolute values of right and wrong.
Denial of the both the existence of and the possibility of knowing absolute truth.
The belief that all religions, including the Gospel of Jesus Christ, are mere human constructions.
Against these and other deceptions of the evil one God's truth protects us, and by God's truth we are delivered from them. To seek to live without the protection of God's truth is to shipwreck our faith before we even enter the battle.So-how secure is your belt?
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth.
Paul called this the belt of 'Truth'. What could he have been referring to?
In John 17:17 Jesus says, "Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth."
The written Word (or logos) of God, the Bible is that 'Truth.' Does this mean the New Testament and the Old Testament? The first chapter of John also reveals that Jesus was (and is) the living Word of God, and that He, Jesus, was the God (Eloiem) of the Old Testament as well as the Incarnate Word of the New Testament.
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
2 Cor 6:7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
Just as the belt is central to the armour of God, the written Word of God (the Bible) is central to all that pertains to spiritual warfare. Knowing by the written Word that we have been made and are the righteousness of God, will tightly secure our breastplate of righteousness. Faith (the shield) comes by hearing the Word of God. Also, we are to fill our hearts with the Word of God. In this case, the scabbard, which holds the sword, could represent the heart filled by the Word of God. And "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." When our heart is full of the written Word, we can unsheathe the sword of the spoken Word of God. When we hear the Word of the Spirit speak to our spirit, we can always test what was said by comparing it to the written Word. We can be confident that we are in the will of God by knowing, living by and walking in the promises of the written record of the Word of God.
1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us:
Hold up your Bible and repeat this confession:
This is my bible.
It is the Incorruptible, the Indestructible,
Ever-living seed, of the Word of God.
I am what it says I am.
I have what it says I have.
I can do what it says I can do.
In Jesus’ name.
“What is truth?”John 14:6
Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
Almost two thousand years ago, Jesus (Who is the truth)was put on trial and judged by people who were devoted to lies. In fact, Truth faced six trials in less than one full day, three of which were religious, and three that were legal. In the end, few people involved in those events could answer the question, "What is truth?"After being arrested, the Truth was first led to a man named Annas, a corrupt former high priest of the Jews.
Annas broke numerous Jewish laws during the trial, including holding the trial in his house, trying to induce self-accusations against the defendant, and striking the defendant, who had been convicted of nothing at the time. After Annas, the Truth was led to the reigning high priest, Caiaphas, who happened to be Annas's son-in-law. Before Caiaphas and the Jewish Sanhedrin, many false witnesses came forward to speak against the Truth, yet nothing could be proved and no evidence of wrongdoing could be found.
Caiaphas broke no fewer than seven laws while trying to convict the Truth:
(1) the trial was held in secret;
(2) it was carried out at night;
(3) it involved bribery;
(4) the defendant had no one present to make a defense for Him;
(5) the requirement of 2-3 witnesses could not be met;
(6) they used self-incriminating testimony against the defendant;
(7) they carried out the death penalty against the defendant the same day.
All these actions were prohibited by Jewish law. Regardless, Caiaphas declared the Truth guilty because the Truth claimed to be God in the flesh, something Caiaphas called blasphemy.When morning came, the third trial of the Truth took place, with the result that the Jewish Sanhedrin pronounced the Truth should die. However, the Jewish council had no legal right to carry out the death penalty, so they were forced to bring the Truth to the Roman governor at the time, a man named Pontius Pilate. Pilate was appointed by Tiberius as the fifth prefect of Judea and served in that capacity A.D. 26 to 36. The procurator had power of life and death and could reverse capital sentences passed by the Sanhedrin. As the Truth stood before Pilate, more lies were brought against Him. His enemies said, "We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King" (Luke 23:2). This was a lie, as the Truth had told everyone to pay their taxes (Matthew 22:21) and never spoke of Himself as a challenge to Caesar.After this, a very interesting conversation between the Truth and Pilate took place. "Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, 'Are You the King of the Jews?' Jesus answered, 'Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?'
Pilate answered, 'I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?'
Jesus answered, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.'
Therefore Pilate said to Him, 'So You are a king?' Jesus answered, 'You say correctly that I am a king.
For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.' Pilate said to Him, 'What is truth?'" (John 18:33ÔÇô38).Pilate's question, "What is truth?" has reverberated down through history. Was it a melancholy desire to know what no one else could tell him, a cynical insult, or perhaps an irritated, indifferent reply to Jesus' words?God and TruthDuring the six trials of Jesus, the contrast between the truth (righteousness) and lies (unrighteousness) was unmistakable.
There stood Jesus, the Truth, being judged by those whose every action was bathed in lies. The Jewish leaders broke nearly every law designed to protect a defendant from wrongful conviction. They fervently worked to find any testimony that would incriminate Jesus, and in their frustration, they turned to false evidence brought forward by liars. But even that could not help them reach their goal. So they broke another law and forced Jesus to implicate Himself.Once in front of Pilate, the Jewish leaders lied again.
They convicted Jesus of blasphemy, but since they knew that wouldn't be enough to coax Pilate to kill Jesus, they claimed Jesus was challenging Caesar and was breaking Roman law by encouraging the crowds to not pay taxes.
Pilate quickly detected their superficial deception, and he never even addressed the charge.Jesus the Righteous was being judged by the unrighteous. The sad fact is that the latter always persecutes the former. It's why Cain killed Abel. The link between truth and righteousness and between falsehood and unrighteousness is demonstrated by a number of examples in the New Testament: ÔÇó For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judgedwho did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness" (2 Thessalonians 2:9ÔÇô12, emphasis added). ÔÇó "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18, emphasis added). ÔÇó "who will render to each person according to his deeds; to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation" (Romans 2:6ÔÇô8, emphasis added).
├ö├ç├│ "[love] does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth" (1 Corinthians 13:5├ö├ç├┤6, emphasis added).What is truth? – ConclusionThe question Pontius Pilate asked centuries ago needs to be rephrased in order to be completely accurate. The Roman governor's remark "What is truth?" overlooks the fact that many things can have the truth, but only one thing can actually be the Truth.
Truth must originate from somewhere.The stark reality is that Pilate was looking directly at the Origin of all Truth on that early morning two thousand years ago.
Not long before being arrested and brought to the governor, Jesus had made the simple statement "I am the truth" (John 14:6), which was a rather incredible statement. How could a mere man be the truth?
He couldn't be, unless He was more than a man, which is actually what He claimed to be.
The fact is, Jesus' claim was validated when He rose from the dead (Romans 1:4).There's a story about a man who lived in Paris who had a stranger from the country come see him.
Wanting to show the stranger the magnificence of Paris, he took him to the Louvre to see the great art and then to a concert at a majestic symphony hall to hear a great symphony orchestra play.
At the end of the day, the stranger from the country commented that he didn't particularly like either the art or the music. To which his host replied, "They aren't on trial, you are."
Pilate and the Jewish leaders thought they were judging Christ, when, in reality, they were the ones being judged. Moreover, the One they convicted will actually serve as their Judge one day, as He will for all who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.Pilate evidently never came to a knowledge of the truth.
Eusebius, the historian and Bishop of Caesarea, records the fact that Pilate ultimately committed suicide sometime during the reign of the emperor Caligula-a sad ending and a reminder for everyone that ignoring the truth always leads to undesired consequences.In a postmodern world that denies that truth can be known, the question is more important than ever to answer. What is truth?A Proposed Definition of TruthIn defining truth, it is first helpful to note what truth is not: ÔÇó Truth is not simply whatever works. This is the philosophy of pragmatism ÔÇô an ends-vs.-means-type approach.
In reality, lies can appear to "work," but they are still lies and not the truth. ÔÇó Truth is not simply what is coherent or understandable. A group of people can get together and form a conspiracy based on a set of falsehoods where they all agree to tell the same false story, but it does not make their presentation true. ÔÇó Truth is not what makes people feel good. Unfortunately, bad news can be true. ÔÇó Truth isnot what the majority says is true. Fifty-one percent of a group can reach a wrong conclusion. ÔÇó Truth is not what is comprehensive. A lengthy, detailed presentation can still result in a false conclusion. ÔÇó Truth is not defined by what is intended. Good intentions can still be wrong. ÔÇó Truth is not how we know; truth is what we know. ÔÇó Truth is not simply what is believed. A lie believed is still a lie. ÔÇó Truth is not what is publicly proved. A truth can be privately known (for example, the location of buried treasure).The Greek word for "truth" isaletheia, which literally means to "un-hide" or "hiding nothing." It conveys the thought that truth is always there, always open and available for all to see, with nothing being hidden or obscured.
The Hebrew word for "truth" isemeth, which means "firmness," "constancy" and "duration." Such a definition implies an everlasting substance and something that can be relied upon.From a philosophical perspective, there are three simple ways to define truth: 1. Truth is that which corresponds to reality. 2. Truth is that which matches its object. 3. Truth is simply telling it like it is.First, truth corresponds to reality or "what is." It is real.
Truth is also correspondent in nature. In other words, it matches its object and is known by its referent.
For example, a teacher facing a class may say, "Now the only exit to this room is on the right." For the class that may be facing the teacher, the exit door may be on their left, but it's absolutely true that the door, for the professor, is on the right.Truth also matches its object. It may be absolutely true that a certain person may need so many milligrams of a certain medication, but another person may need more or less of the same medication to produce the desired effect.
This is not relative truth, but just an example of how truth must match its object. It would be wrong (and potentially dangerous) for a patient to request that their doctor give them an inappropriate amount of a particular medication, or to say that any medicine for their specific ailment will do.In short, truth is simply telling it like it is; it is the way things really are, and any other viewpoint is wrong. A foundational principle of philosophy is being able to discern between truth and error, or as Thomas Aquinas observed, “It is the task of the philosopher to make distinctions.”Challenges to TruthAquinas' words are not very popular today. Making distinctions seems to be out of fashion in a postmodern era of relativism. It is acceptable today to say, "This is true," as long as it is not followed by, "and therefore that is false." This is especially observable in matters of faith and religion where every belief system is supposed to be on equal footing where truth is concerned.There are a number of philosophies and worldviews that challenge the concept of truth, yet, when each is critically examined it turns out to be self-defeating in nature.The philosophy of relativism says that all truth is relative and that there is no such thing as absolute truth.
But one has to ask: is the claim "all truth is relative" a relative truth or an absolute truth? If it is a relative truth, then it really is meaningless; how do we know when and where it applies? If it is an absolute truth, then absolute truth exists. Moreover, the relativist betrays his own position when he states that the position of the absolutist is wrong ÔÇô why can't those who say absolute truth exists be correct too?
In essence, when the relativist says, "There is no truth," he is asking you not to believe him, and the best thing to do is follow his advice.Those who follow the philosophy of skepticism simply doubt all truth. But is the skeptic skeptical of skepticism; does he doubt his own truth claim?
If so, then why pay attention to skepticism? If not, then we can be sure of at least one thing (in other words, absolute truth exists)-skepticism, which, ironically, becomes absolute truth in that case.
The agnostic says you can't know the truth. Yet this mindset is self-defeating because it claims to know at least one truth: that you can't know truth.The disciples of postmodernism simply affirm no particular truth. The patron saint of postmodernism-Frederick Nietzsche-described truth like this: "What then is truth? A mobile army of metaphors, metonyms, and anthropomorphisms  truths are illusions  coins which have lost their pictures and now matter only as metal, no longer as coins." Ironically, although the postmodernist holds coins in his hand that are now "mere metal," he affirms at least one absolute truth: the truth that no truth should be affirmed.
Like the other worldviews, postmodernism is self-defeating and cannot stand up under its own claim.A popular worldview is pluralism, which says that all truth claims are equally valid. Of course, this is impossible. Can two claims ÔÇô one that says a woman is now pregnant and another that says she is not now pregnant ÔÇô both be true at the same time? Pluralism unravels at the feet of the law of non-contradiction, which says that something cannot be both "A" and "Non-A" at the same time and in the same sense.
As one philosopher quipped, anyone who believes that the law of non-contradiction is not true (and, by default, pluralism is true) should be beaten and burned until they admit that to be beaten and burned is not the same thing as to not be beaten and burned.
Also, note that pluralism says that it is true and anything opposed to it is false, which is a claim that denies its own foundational tenet.The spirit behind pluralism is an open-armed attitude of tolerance. However, pluralism confuses the idea of everyone having equal value with every truth claim being equally valid. More simply, all people may be equal, but not all truth claims are. Pluralism fails to understand the difference between opinion and truth, a distinction Mortimer Adler notes: "Pluralism is desirable and tolerable only in those areas that are matters of taste rather than matters of truth."The Offensive Nature of TruthWhen the concept of truth is twisted or damaged, it is usually for one or more of the following reasons:One common complaint against anyone claiming to have absolute truth in matters of faith and religion is that such a stance is "narrow-minded." However, the critic fails to understand that, by nature, truth is narrow. Is a math teacher narrow-minded for holding to the belief that 2 + 2 only equals 4?Another objection to truth is that it is arrogant to claim that someone is right and another person is wrong. However, returning to the above example with mathematics, is it arrogant for a math teacher to insist on only one right answer to an arithmetic problem?
Or is it arrogant for a locksmith to state that only one key will open a locked door?A third charge against those holding to absolute truth in matters of faith and religion is that such a position excludes people, rather than being inclusive.
But such a complaint fails to understand that truth, by nature, excludes its opposite. All answers other than 4 are excluded from the reality of what 2 + 2 truly equals.Yet another protest against truth is that it is offensive and divisive to claim one has the truth. Instead, the critic argues, all that matters is sincerity.
The problem with this position is that truth is immune to sincerity, belief, and desire. It doesn't matter how much one sincerely believes a wrong key will fit a door; the key still won't go in and the lock won't be opened.
Truth is also unaffected by sincerity. Someone who picks up a bottle of poison and sincerely believes it is lemonade will still suffer the unfortunate effects of the poison.
Finally, truth is impervious to desire. A person may strongly desire that their car has not run out of gas, but if the gauge says the tank is empty and the car will not run any farther, then no desire in the world will miraculously cause the car to keep going.Some will admit that absolute truth exists, but then claim such a stance is only valid in the area of science and not in matters of faith and religion.
This is a philosophy called logical positivism, which was popularized by philosophers such as David Hume and A. J. Ayer.
In essence, such people state that truth claims must either be tautologies (for example, all bachelors are unmarried men) or empirically verifiable (that is, testable via science).
To the logical positivist, all talk about God is nonsense.Those who hold to the notion that only science can make truth claims fail to recognize is that there are many realms of truth where science is impotent. For example: ÔÇó Science cannot prove the disciplines of mathematics and logic because it presupposes them. ÔÇó Science cannot prove metaphysical truths such as; minds other than my own do exist. ÔÇó Science is unable to provide truth in the areas of morals and ethics. You cannot use science, for example, to prove the Nazis were evil. ÔÇó Science is incapable of stating truths about aesthetic positions such as the beauty of a sunrise. ÔÇó Lastly, when anyone makes the statement "science is the only source of objective truth," they have just made a philosophical claim-which cannot be tested by science.And there are those who say that absolute truth does not apply in the area of morality. Yet the response to the question, "Is it moral to torture and murder an innocent child?" is absolute and universal: No. Or, to make it more personal, those who supportrelative truth concerning morals always seem to want their spouse to be absolutely faithful to them.Why is Truth Important ?Why is it so important to understand and embrace the concept of absolute truth in all areas of life (including faith and religion)?
Simply because life has consequences for being wrong.
Giving someone the wrong amount of a medication can kill them; Having an investment manager make the wrong monetary decisions can impoverish a family; Boarding the wrong plane will take you where you do not wish to go; Dealing with an unfaithful marriage partner can result in the destruction of a family and, potentially, disease.As Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias puts it, "The fact is, the truth matters ÔÇô especially when you're on the receiving end of a lie." And nowhere is this more important than in the area of faith and religion. Eternity is an awfully long time to be wrong.