What is post modern?
Time changes things; perspectives, cultures, and belief processes. Before the Renaissance people were guided by beliefs of super-naturalism, mysticism, and collective altruism. By the 1700s these beliefs developed to naturalism, objectivism, and individualism. This persisted up until the mid 20th century.
Basically the pendulum effect jumped in and people swung to the other side.
We now live in what is called a postmodern society. Jeff Leffel - author of The Crossroads Project - made it really simple to understand and split the ideas into five sections:
- Reality is in the mind of the beholder. (Each person constructs his/her own reality)
- People are not able to think independently because they are defined—“scripted,” molded—by their culture.
- We cannot judge things in another culture or in another person’s life, because our reality may be different from theirs. There is no possibility of “transculture objectivity.”
- We are moving in the direction of progress, but are arrogantly dominating nature and threatening our future.
- Nothing is ever proven, either by science, history, or any other discipline.
What does this mean for me?
We have changed from a world of absolutes, objectivity, and dogmatism to one of relativism, subjectivism, and tolerance.
Relativism: knowledge is relative - to time, to place, to society, to culture, to personal conviction, etc. the value of knowledge depends upon the value of one or more of these variables. Relativism and subjectivism ignore the law of non-contradiction (two opposite things can't be true at the same time, i.e. your shirt can't be purple and green at once). For example, "I am not religious, but if that is what you believe then that is what is true for you. I think the religion that is true for one person might not be true for the next."
With relativism religion and faith is reduced to the status of an opinion. This belief makes statements like Christ saying He is "the way, the truth, and the life" and that "no man cometh unto the Father but by me" invalid because Christ can't be the only truth, and there is more than one way to get to the Father because truth is relative.
Tolerance: This is very postmodern of me but this word is quite subjective in my opinion. If this word means to live in peace with people of different beliefs than that is very good. In Ephesians 4:1-3 it shows how the church preserves unity by being tolerant. If someone is annoying, sings off key, has a temper, or disagrees with us we should certainly be tolerant. But if it means that everyone needs to forfeit notions of objectivity than that is problematic.
Thou shalt not tolerate. Has become the new command that enforces our society's behavior. Evangelical leader, Charles Carlson, said, "Tolerance has become so important that no exception is tolerated." You can believe in your belief but you can not assert that your belief is right because that would assume another's belief is wrong. In another conversation I heard the idea being expressed that "no one can say what is a sin for somebody else. That wouldn't be right because they don't know another person's life."
These beliefs make it difficult to share our beliefs with others. By bearing our testimony to someone we are violating the code of tolerance we must embrace.
When the rejection of absolute truth and complete tolerance is expected are what we hear expressed every day by our peers, stated on television, and perpetuated throughout the majority of the aspects of our life it's kind of easy to see why believing in God-given absolutes is difficult in this era we live in. Cool. It's hard to be a believer, what else is new? But now what?
Where do I stand?
I do not think this culture is inherently evil. Too often we hear about the evils of relativism and tolerance. I think subjectivity is awesome, and tolerance too. There are so many things about this way of thought that I embrace.
Personally, I think there is a spectrum. Here are four categories that can be identified (I found this somewhere but can't find the source again to link it)
Situational Relativity: right and wrong are dependent on culture, time, situation, etc. For example, women not wearing a head covering (1 Cor 11:5). The sin was dependent on the cultural expression. Also, personal revelation could fall into this category. If I receive revelation to not go to a party, that for me is objective whereas my good, inspired friend may be also living a righteous life and attending the same party.
Autonomous Relativity: Truly relative, there is no right or wrong. Which hymn is best? (Okay, for me this is objectively "I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go")
Essential Objectivity: Truths essential for salvation. Jesus Christ is our Redeemer.
Non-essential Objectivity: Doctrinal and not issues that are not necessary for one's salvation. There is objective truth, but at the same time it is non-essential because it is not necessary to believe one way or the other.
We live in a postmodern world that functions on the relative side of the quadrant, and belong to a church that counters living on the objective side. By looking at the little (not perfect) quadrant it helps me to realize what may be objective versus relative. I encourage you to create your own!
I think it's most important to remember that Heavenly Father exists and is there for us. All truth comes through Him. If we look upwards for our guide, we will be able to live in harmony with the truth He can give us.
check out a talk I love by Dallin H Oaks: Balancing Truth and Tolerance https://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/02/balancing-truth-and-tolerance?lang=eng
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