Thanks psisci for your support and understanding.

I've realized something, that I hadn't been able to put my finger on until this morning. There is a cultural gap. Not just a generational gap, but a true cultural gap in play here. How that is manifesting itself on THIS thread is this: what I believe about truth is not what you believe about truth. (I use the word "you" to identify those who believe the cultural beliefs as opposed to the longstanding beliefs of previous generations (mine.)

I believe in absolute truth.

The new culture believes there is no absolute truth. It says that truth is personal, and subjective. It also says that it's variable, depending upon the situation and circumstance. What was true for you yesterday may not be true for you today. It believes that truth is created and that what's true for me might not be true for you. For this way of thinking, all truth is equal. You say something is true because you believe it (believing it, for you, makes it true for you.) You say truth is circumstantial.

The truth I know isn't created, it's discovered. I can quote Scripture, but it won't do you any good, because you don't find that Scripture is true for you. You see, you say it's truth because you believe it. I believe it because it's truth. You believe something is true because you have faith (that it is I have faith because it is true. In your beliefs, faith doesn't respond to truth, it creates it!

It used to be that John 3:16 was the most quoted Scripture by young people, in my generation. Now, Matt 7:1 is the most quoted among the teens of today. And it's taken totally out of context by doing so. When only Matthew 7:1 is quoted as a response to someone who has discerned something, it isn't being used correctly, fully. Think about this later.

When someone holds to this other cultural belief about truth, it eliminates their ability to discern difference between Mother Theresa and Ted Bundy, because, each of their own truths were correct and truth for them! When you take this view of truth, you have lost your ability to discern between Hitler and Billy Graham... because all people's truth is equal. Your truth is personal, and variable. Something might be true for you today and not tomorrow.

The truth of my generation is founded in God and His Word. HIS truth is absolute. HE is the way, the TRUTH, and the life. It isn't true because I believe it, it's true because it's God's truth. The truth I know is beyond myself, it's beyond all of us. Your absolute relativism doesn't say that. I have a SOURCE of truth and it is God. Truth is discovered, this is a basic part of hermaneutics. My Source of truth doesn't change: God says, "I am the Lord your God, I change not." (Sorry, had to put some Scripture in.) The source of truth is God, and that is where I find morals and ethics too.

I guess it would be arrogant of me to suggest that God enlightened me to the gap, but that is the truth. I don't believe in coincidences. I'd tell you the story if I thought you'd believe me. I believe He showed me this because I went looking for His truth on this, wondering why so few couldn't understand what I was trying to say. At least now we all know that we work from different bases. Bases that will always be separate.

I can see that on a support site it is important, well anywhere, to not demand "your" truth or God's truth upon anyone. I have always tried to take posts at face value, and lead to a comforting spot. This forum though is for encouragment where the other areas just don't touch. I hope you fully understand what I mean by that. It's easy on such a site to make all things equal...and in many ways that works great. It's when it doesn't work for someone, and they seek more, that the keys to their belief system might need to be reviewed by them. If beliefs are ever-changing, how can you have stability??? I don't know how that's possible.

Let me caution young teen Christians that this new cultural acceptance of an ever-changing truth is not Scriptural. You have your own choice, but remember this for the future, at least?

I can see trying to hold both views simultaneously. In matters that are of the world and society, absolute truth, and of personal private matters, the variable truth, or vice versa. I doubt it will give any comfort that way. There is no foundation to the belief. (I could insert another few verses about the house built on sand...)

"There is a way that seemeth right unto man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death."

Because I know this to be true doesn't make it true, it isn't my beliefs that are creating this truth, as you might think (knowing how you think of truth now)... but it's true because it's Biblically based, God's Word is the ultimate truth for mankind. (And, yes, I do believe it guides us for decisions involving every aspect of our lives, if we seek to discover His (the) truth.) If I appear arrogant, forgive me. Perhaps it's not me, but God's Word that I quote, which is totally true,and the rising up of the spirit within you, that you are ascribing to me instead, that is causing some of the problem.