Dr. Keith A. Ogden

Whatever happened to the day when a man’s word was his bond? Whatever happened to the time when the truth was the truth and a lie was a lie and there was no confusion in differentiating between the two? Whatever happened to the days of absolutes?

The philosophical thinking that governs the social interactions between human beings in our society has shifted dramatically since the beginning to the last century. There was a time that most people functioned according to basic Judeo-Christian principles and common logic. This is not to say that everybody was a Christian or an upright moral person, but, there were certain values and ideas, steeped in the Judeo-Christian tradition that even non-Christians honored.

Among these principles was the idea that there was such a thing as absolute truth. For example, if “A” was true and “B” was the exact opposite of “A,” then logic dictated that “B” could not be identical to “A” and hence, “B” was false! But, somewhere after the bitter reality of whatever went wrong, America has sunk beneath the plane of moral absolutes and common logic.

We now live in a time when truth has been transformed from something that was once absolute into something that is relative. (By using the term “relative” I mean something of which the validity depends upon unsure and changing factors). The standard of behavior is no longer a clear-cut black-and-white issue, but has been smeared into a non-distinctive gray. For many, the truth is no longer a matter of fact, but merely a matter of popular public opinion. Moral character and integrity have been traded off for political, social, and economic expediency.

As I look at the news and read the local newspaper, it’s very depressing to see what’s happening in and around us. Moral values used to be a topic around the dinner table. Now, people are always scheming, trying to get ahead in life without ever seeing the consequences around the curve.

There was a time when a person who was a virgin was normal, while the girl who had “been around” was shunned. Today, the girl who is experience is glamorized, while the girl (or boy) who is sexually pure is considered to be abnormal. Our young girls are opening their legs to pregnancy without counting the cost and what it takes to care and provide for that precious innocent child. Our young boys are running around impregnating our little girls with their permission; without considering that one day, they too, will reap what they sow.

No one seems to have remorse for doing wrong anymore until they get caught. There once was a time when homosexuality was thought to be sin, along with fornication and adultery, etc., (by the way, God still calls it sin — read your Bible!); now it is just another of many alternative lifestyles; with all the gender-confused people in the world from California to Vermont — and from Vermont to Asheville.

With the majority of society drowning in the dark seas of relativism, those who will believe in absolutes shall appear as lighted buoys, illuminating a channel of moral integrity that leads to the firm shore of absolute truth! What is truth? God’s Word is truth! Man may change; but the truth remains the same! Please take heed of the message — it is God’s will that all men be saved. Surrender you life to Him today. God loves you… Romans 10:9 (NIV) records, “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

If you want to have a firm foothold in a crumbling world, may I suggest that you plant your feet on the Rock! On Christ the Solid and Absolute Rock you can stand, all other ground is sinking sand! All other ground is sinking, shifting, and transitory relative sand! Give your life to Him today — live for Him today!