You're most welcome. I felt it could be carried to another thread and followed through on it. Glad to know there is an interest.
What do I think? When I hear phrases like "absolute truth" and "supreme being", the first questions that come to my mind are "how are you defining this?", "what do you mean by that?", "what exactly are you trying to convey?" and "what is your intention behind its use?".
In other words, I look for context so that I don't assume I think I know what the phrases mean and what they are trying to convey, etc.
It's only after I get contextual information that I can ascertain the mythology behind the phrases and their uses.
Yeah, go ahead... ask me about mythology
I'm not really sure what I think... except I am not sure, but would like to be more sure, or certainly less unsure !
Can I suggest we put aside "supreme being" because it's (perhaps) more subjective and rather focus on this very interesting and (for me) challenging philosophical idea of "absolute truth" ?
For some, "truth" will be a binary description. Either, true or not true. As in the other thread, we can also lead ourselves down the subjective Platonic view of truth, but again, I think I would like to acknowledge that for a moment, but again, put it aside.
Let's assume "truth" is an absolute in itself, in a binary construct of being true and not true. (not sure we can even do that, but let's assume we can to explore). People then add "absolute" before truth, and hence "absolute truth". In the binary definition, does the absolute become a superlative ? Why do people talk about "absolute truth" rather than just "truth", do they mean truth which cannot be questioned or is an axiom? (an axiom actually not making the thing it describes as true, simply an axiom)
In Freemasonry, we're told our great principals are "brotherly love, relief and truth" and I think the first two are easy and truth by far is the hardest of the three. So the conversation is obviously directly related to Freemasonry (okay, Masonry to keep you happy... correct ? Or not correct ?
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Does "absolute truth" rely on faith ? Can you think it out ? Is it a construct ? Or, is there really something out there which is "absolute truth" and if so, does it lead us back to this Supreme Being which you mention and which my thoughts immediately turn to ? I guess not, they might not have any relationship...
And I am not talking in the context of any sort of crisis of faith, but in the context of philosophy and thought... I guess it is just one of the great questions... but Freemasonry actually presents it to us because of the "grand principles" of brotherly love, relief and truth....
Does any of that make sense or am I just rambling ?
And I must apologize , but I'm about to turn in and tomorrow will be a 16 hour day, so it will be a while before I expect I am able to return to this thread... my absence is from necessity not a lack of keenness to read responses..