Relativism VS. Absoulte

[Wayfarer]

As for what FF said earlier... I hate to take just part of a post and reply to that, but I'd like to start where she ended:

MLifestyles are changing, and we have to change our moral systems to maintain order and continue looking out for our own welfare.

I submit that lifestyles are not, in fact, changing. My bible certainly doesn't say 'this is how lifestyles used to be, back when people were good and decent'. The historical segments of the bible are rife with immorality. We see murder, rape, adultery, incest, theft, and any number of other nasty goings on. Indeed, there are a number of prominent locations that would still make most americans shiver.

No, christianity says, (and I don't know how you keep missing this) that humans, as a species, has a natural inclination to screw up. And that, unless we get help, we're going to keep screwing up. I have yet to see evidence to the contrary. We suck.

Now, to continue with the rest of the message...

Morals are made up to fulfill instincts for self-preservation and happiness.

Tell me something. If I were to, say... kill your parents. And do some other nasty things along the lines of what I described at the beginning of this thread, would you complain? Defenitely. Certainly I am interfering with your happiness, and possibly with your self-preservation. But you know what? If morals are simply made up for selfish reasons, there is absolutely nothing that you, as a relativist, can do to tell me I'm wrong.

Let's assume, for a moment, that morals are simply devised because of what people want. So... I want to kill you, but you want to live. What happens? You appeal to a moral standard bigger than either of us. The law, right. We get that from our government. But how do we justify our government interfering in other countries? we appeal to a still higher authroity.

You, will eventually come to a point hwere you can go no further. The relativist says, at this point, that the absolute is 'whatever I want at the moment'. The christian absolutist says 'whatever god wants'.

But even a relativist such as yourself likely resorts to invoking a higher sense of right and wrong quite often. We shall see. ]: )