"Truth" is at the core of every religion. To
believe anything at all, one must accept certain things as "true." "Truth" undergirds the very act of worship, the practice of religion.Each religion has a set of principles that articulate its version of "truth."
"What Is Truth?"
In the Christian scriptures, the historical character, Pontius Pilate, is confronted with a statement attributed to Jesus of Nazareth: "Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." (Holy
Bible, John 18:37)
Pilate's reply is somewhat astounding. He does not quibble with Jesus about the nature of power as a politician might (that is, if "everyone" listens to someone, that person is very powerful).
Rather, Pilate responds to Jesus' contention that people could be one the "side" of truth.
"What is truth?" Pilate asks and, in the dim light of history, we can almost see him shrug his shoulders contemplating the
question. It is a matter of deep philosophy and profound theology.
In some religions, "truth" is considered absolute. That is, some things are undeniably true, and some are undeniably false.
With "absolute" truth,
some things are true, no matter what people may think of them; no matter what legends may be concocted about them; and no matter what opposition may rise to them.
Some things, according to "absolute" truth, are simply true because they are true.
In other religions, "truth" is a relative matter. Nothing is absolutely true; everything is open to interpretation; and everyone can
have her or his own "truth."
With "relative" truth, things can become more or less true based on peoples' sensibilities; "truth" can be more or less "true" depending upon whether people want to hear it; the "truth" is
a moving target that can be brought closer or made further away, depending on the situation.
Anything, according to "relative" truth, can be made more or less true depending on the circumstances that surround it.
Likewise, in religious observance, some religions consider certain events, concepts, and principles "absolutely" true, and others "relatively" true.
Every religion considers some things absolutely true. Every religion
considers some thing "relatively" true (or, we might say "debatable").
Generally, religions advocate positions on the following common themes:
Deity (who or what is God, a god, or a supreme being)
History (the story of the planet and human existence)
Life principles (how one defines a "good" life)
Afterlife (what happens after human life ends)
Some religions also focus on additional themes:
Assignment:
The way each religion applies these themes differentiates it from every other religion. For this assignment, please provide the fundamental truth claims--claims to absolute truth--for each religion
listed below. Base your profiles on the list of themes above.
In addition, based on your understanding, provide a short (2-3 paragraph) response to Pontius Pilate's question, "what is truth?" from each religion's
perspective. (i.e., How would a Christian answer the question "what is truth?"; a Muslim, a Hindu, etc.
Christianity
