Summer is winding down, and students are returning to college. Whether they learn while seated, while remote, or while masked or unmasked will largely hinge on how your institution is waging the war against Covid. But either way, colleges will be back in action.
But another war continues to rage in our colleges. It’s the war against objective truth.
Higher education is soaked in worldviews and values that challenge, ignore, or overtly attack a biblical worldview. Secularism, atheism, Darwinism, and relativism, to name few. And now those worldviews are governed by one overarching, all-encompassing, dominant worldview: Postmodernism.
As a worldview, postmodernism advances the notion that no objective truth exists. It’s a bit more complicated than that, but that’s the gist. And it is wreaking havoc on our institutions and our culture. Postmodernism is the primary reason for the cultural chaos and moral decline we are experiencing today.
And you can recognize postmodernism’s governing force in colleges and universities. Here’s an example.
Exhibit A: Davidson College
Consider Davidson College, a private, well-respected institution in my home state of NC and aligned with the Presbyterian Church USA. On the front page of its web site the first thing you see is this:
“Truth is an elusive concept these days—but not at Davidson. For us, truth is not a set of answers, it’s a way of being—defined by deep sincerity, intellectual bravery, unquestioned integrity, fundamental decency. This is the foundation that makes the Davidson experience a true examination of self and world. And why relationships formed here are ties that bind, with impact that is boundless.”
First, notice what truth “is not”: According to Davidson College, truth is “not a set of answers.” So rather than educate your student with objective facts, Davidson College exists to indoctrinate your student into a particular worldview. In this worldview, truth is defined by your student’s “sincerity.” At Davidson College, a student is not taught to learn the truth and apply it but to decide for themselves their own “truth” based on their feelings, preferences, and opinions.
Let’s break it down
To use postmodern terminology, let’s deconstruct Davidson’s concept of truth.
“Truth is a way of being” means that truth is purely subjective. “Truth” begins with the person, not with the subject matter. Students bring their own “truth” to the subjects they study, and that “truth” is informed by their particular experiences in life. It’s the opposite of being informed by objective truth, and it gives them permission to be intensely self-absorbed. It’s not about learning. It’s about “being.”
Also, “Truth is. . .defined by deep sincerity.” Ok. But, how do I know what to be “sincere” about? After all, I can be sincere and completely wrong at the same time.
Truth is defined by “intellectual bravery,” but what if I am courageous but misguided, even unethical? Truth is defined by “unquestioned integrity,” but who defines integrity? And what if being true to myself means being fortified in a lack of integrity just because it makes me feel good?
And “decency,” but without an objective standard, who decides what is ethical and decent? How do I know the right thing to do if my purpose is to be true to myself rather than apply objective truth to my decisions?
What’s the problem?
You get the idea. When I am the one inventing the “truth,” whatever I say is true to me cannot be contested. And as far as our culture goes, this concept of “truth” absolves people from any responsibility for their actions. Universal law doesn’t exist when there is no such thing as universal truth.
So, if no objective truth exists, what am I left with? Just my feelings, my preferences, and my opinions.
But here’s the thing–if everything is true, and anything is true, then nothing is true. Where does that leave our students? Drifting in a sea of vacuous, uninterrupted despair, anger, and hopelessness.
If whatever I think is true is my “truth,” I do not live in a fortress that is reliable and will protect me against life’s struggles and trials and falsehoods. No, I live in a tent where the slightest wind will blow away my moorings and send me reeling into the emptiness of my hollow worldview.
Return to objective truth
Objective truth still exists in the same place it always has—in the Bible. And Christians, of all people, should be able to tell the difference between postmodern subjective blathering and solid, objective answers.
And you will notice that biblical truth, that is, God’s truth, directly answers the false assumptions of postmodernism. When applied faithfully, biblical truth always demonstrates its superiority to our feelings, preferences, and opinions.
Here’s how:
- Biblical truth is unchanging and eternal (Is. 40:8, Matt. 24:35).
The postmodern concept of subjective truth is unreliable. It changes with the times and waffles with your feelings (James 1:5-7).
But biblical truth is reliable because of its unchanging nature. God’s truth will stay the same for eternity. That’s why the Bible warns against trusting your unreliable feelings (Prov. 28:26). Instead, you can trust biblical truth to inform your feelings and guide your actions.
- Biblical truth is living and powerful (John 17:17, Heb. 4:12).
Biblical truth is unchanging, but that doesn’t mean it’s static. The dynamic power of God’s word shapes and molds the believer who digests God’s truth.
When we are taught to entrench ourselves in our feelings and preferences, nothing changes. We have no guide for how to change, to grow, and to be better. We find ourselves frustrated with the lack of progress in our lives. But God’s truth is transformational. When we ingest and trust what He says, He shows us what needs to change and then helps us do it (Rom. 12:1-2).
A “way of being” unmoored from biblical truth is like floating on a vast sea without a rudder. No direction, no purpose, and no intent. You are “being,” but not “becoming.” But aligned with biblical truth your life has direction, purpose, and intent. You are becoming the person your Creator designed you to be in a relationship with Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6).
- Biblical truth is practical and reliable (Ps. 119:105, James 1:22-25).
Our feelings are not a reliable guide to decision making. Feelings and preferences change, so trusting our feelings only leads to anxiety and confusion. Nor do our feelings and preferences make us more civil, more unified, or more equal. Why? Because our feelings lie to us, shift with the moment, and distort our perspective (Jer. 17:9).
But when we rally around biblical truth, we find practical answers that make us more unified, better able to make coherent and consistent decisions, and more civil as a society (Prov. 3:5-6).
So when the time comes to make a major decision, whether it is for an ethical quandary or financial management, for a family crisis or for a personal solution, rather than rely on our feelings to give us the right answer, let’s turn to the only source of reliable, eternal truth. Biblical truth.
And let’s teach our students to do the same.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
John 8:32
How does postmodernism impact our culture? Here’s an example: Is Critical Race Theory biblical? Should Christians embrace it? Absolutely not. Here’s why.