What is relativism? Religious relativism is basically the position that nothing is absolute, including any religious claim to truth. This view is becoming increasingly popular in our day and it takes on a number of different forms. Some of these will be looked at briefly here.

Relativists often say: “If it [i.e. your religion] works for you, then I am happy for you, but it doesn't mean it is for me.”

Response 1: Firstly, it is worth bearing in mind that people who say such a thing are probably being very well intentioned. However, where matters of truth are concerned it is impossible to maintain this position. The fact is that things that seem to work, on the surface of things, do not necessarily mean that they are good or beneficial to you. Indeed, despite any short term benefits that may be evident, in the long term, there may even be a detremental effect.

Response 2: It must be asked how far people who say "you have your truth, I have mine" are willing to go. For example, why would most people find the Hindu practice of "widow burning" to be barbaric? Are not those who practice this believing it to be a true practice? Why not involve Satanists into multi-faith celebrations? The very fact that society rightly abhors the practices and beliefs of some religions and applauds others clearly shows that they unconciously acknowledge that they cannot be accepted as true.

Another very popular statement that relativists claim is: “There is no such thing as truth.”

Response 1: “If you really believe that there is no such thing as truth then the statement “There is no such thing as truth would not be true either.”

Response 2: “If there was no truth the world and the universe in which we live would be in chaos.

Some things in life are certain. For example, it is true that the world in which we live in hangs in space and is a sphere. It is true that there is night and there is day. It is true that each one of us grows old and dies. There are various laws that exist in our world that are universal, such as: the law of gravity, the laws of physics and thermodynamics, etc. As there are basic laws and truths in our universe it would therefore be logical to assume that there are spiritual truths as well.

When people reject absolutes they tend to drift in and out of varying belief systems like a ship without an anchor in a sea of uncertainty. This is probably the reason why so many who hold to relativism tend to move on to the next spiritual fad that takes their fancy, and then discover that the new thing they found wasn't 'it' after all. All of this can lead to doubt, confusion, and fear. As human beings need certainties in their physical lives they need to have certainties, order, and truth in their spiritual lives as well. Jesus Christ declared that all truth can be found in Him (John 14:6).