Torch, Spring 1998

(continued from page 8) of knowledge is called faith. If reality exists in a certain way, regardless of what I believe about it, then my inability to know it completely and certainly does not affect its nature. Thus, my truth claim could indeed be an accurate reflection of the way reality is in itself and, thus , could indeed be true. The catch is that, as a subjective knower, I could never be absolutely certain that my ideas do match reality. But I can have faith that they do. But this cannot be a blind, undiscriminating faith, because if there is a reality which remai ns unaffected by my beliefs about it, then it seems only reasonable that I should be concerned to have faith in the proper object. The mere having of faith is not the real issue. It is having faith in what is really real that matters . But currently, few are concerned with matching ideas to reality. Most care only about what 10 Torch works. It is as though we are all caught in the famili ar tale of the blind men attempting to identify an elephant based on the small portion of the whole animal each can feel. Current thinking would say that each perspective is as valid as the next, because no one blind man can see the whole elephant as it really is. So, if one man thinks the elephant is a rope because of his perceptions of its trunk, and another thinks it is a tree from his perceptions of its leg, then the former should not attempt to convert the latter to his position, or vice versa. Each must tolerate divergent points of view. However, it would certainly be to the advantage of these men to be accurate in their identification of the object confronting them. Suppose, for example, that the fellow who thinks he is facing a tree decides to act on his belief and begins to drive a nail into this "tree." He will qui ckly find his belief to be unworkable as he is trampled by the elephant. Now, on what basis was his idea unworkable, and thereby untrue, according to current understandings of truth? His idea did not work because it did not correspond to reality. Truth as consistency with reality provides the foundation for truth as workability. So, even though this blind man could never perceive the elephant as it truly is or conclusively prove hi s belief, it would be to his advantage to form as accurate a belief about it as is possible from his limited perspective. Having the correct object of faith is crucial! It is not the case that ideas are true because they work. They work because they are true. Even though I may never be able to have a "God 's-eye perspective" on reality and know with certainty all absolute truths, this does not • ~piritual Herita9e Tour of Gree(e, the Greek lrlandr, and Epherur Dr. Robert Gromacki, Bible Teacher Dr. Martin Clark, Tour Host July 10-21, 1998 Contact Dr. Martin Clark at Cedarville College P.O. Box 601 Cedarville, Ohio 45314 Phone: 937-766-7810