Objective Truth

[cseargent]

dear friends... I think, or hope, we can all agree that truth is objective. There can only be one truth. When I was a Roman Catholic I believed I had cornered the market on the one and only truth given to me by the one and only true church.

Over the past few days I have come to question quite a bit that was fed to me in the RC Church.

So I ask you... if you are Anglican, do you think the Anglican Church provides the objective truth of what is needed to be saved. I mean, are you Anglican because you believe it to be the one true church. And more specifically, what flavor of Anglicanism contains the objective truth.

Am I deceiving myself by keeping my Roman baggage or should I simply discard it all and embrace fully the truth contained in the 1662 BCP, The Catechism, the 39 Articles and the homilies.

All my posts thus far have been leading to this question. In the words of Pilate, what is truth?

 

[gordonhooker]

Each denomination will have people in it that say they have the one and only truth including some Anglicans. I simply believe we are on the right track as are all the other denominations and faith systems.

 

[HTacianas]

dear friends... I think, or hope, we can all agree that truth is objective. There can only be one truth. When I was a Roman Catholic I believed I had cornered the market on the one and only truth given to me by the one and only true church.

Over the past few days I have come to question quite a bit that was fed to me in the RC Church.

So I ask you... if you are Anglican, do you think the Anglican Church provides the objective truth of what is needed to be saved. I mean, are you Anglican because you believe it to be the one true church. And more specifically, what flavor of Anglicanism contains the objective truth.

Am I deceiving myself by keeping my Roman baggage or should I simply discard it all and embrace fully the truth contained in the 1662 BCP, The Catechism, the 39 Articles and the homilies.

All my posts thus far have been leading to this question. In the words of Pilate, what is truth?

I'm not Anglican, but if you will allow me.

The Roman Church does in fact contain all the truth necessary for salvation. But I've always thought that the scholasticism of the Roman Church was both a blessing and a curse, so to say. Through that scholasticism I have leather a lot reading Catholic teaching, but in the attempt to fully explain everything, it often leads to divisions. I admire the Orthodox Church's ability to oftentimes say "it is a mystery".

Remain in the Roman Church.

 

[Apologetic_Warrior]

If I may, I think Anglican J.I. Packer might respond something like this: Jesus Christ said that He is the way, the truth, and the life. In relation to objective truth, Jesus Christ, God incarnate is the one objective truth. Elsewhere in Scripture we read; "let God be true, but every man a liar;" and "the heart is deceitful above all things" and "trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding". So it is Christ we have and find justification for objective truth, while at the same time acknowledging that there are subjective truths, many of which are personal preferences.

 

[seeking.IAM]

I sort of disagree with your premise. Sort of. Only sort of.

In its purest form, I agree that truth is objective. The problem for me is that we're human and can't help placing our own interpretation on what we hear, read, and see. Given that, I think we all only approximate a truth we cannot fully discern or understand. I fully believe that if you line up an Anglican, a Roman Catholic, an Eastern Orthodox, or a non-denom at the Pearly Gates, all four will hear, "Hey you were wrong about one thing, but you did pretty good overall. Well done."

That said, if I doubted the essential truth of where I worship, I wouldn't be there.

 

[KingdomLeast]

I don't believe in organized religion, I was raised a Roman Catholic, and wrote a letter of disassociation when I was about 20. I joined a non-denominational church of which I was a member for about 12 years, but it turned out to be cultic. I left and got involved with a home church, to which I have been affiliated with for 20 years.

Just remember, God doesn't approve one religion, one denomination over another, because if He did, we'd all be there. God doesn't deal with groups/denominations he deals with individuals. No church can save you, no church can give you eternal life, only God can through Jesus Christ.

 

[JIMINZ]

When I was in exactly the same position you find yourself today, it came down to it's not what I was fed which I now see, but rather how much of what I don't see now which I won't see for years to come, will then become visible?

If It's Truth you want, your not going to find it in any one group, especially if they say they have all truth.

The truth is in Gods' word (The Bible) take your time, seek Gods truth on your own terms, not what others say you must believe.

If what you begin to see, Feel, Understand does not coincide with what you have in the past, or are now being taught, then get out of where you are.

 

[everbecoming2007]

dear friends... I think, or hope, we can all agree that truth is objective. There can only be one truth. When I was a Roman Catholic I believed I had cornered the market on the one and only truth given to me by the one and only true church.

Over the past few days I have come to question quite a bit that was fed to me in the RC Church.

So I ask you... if you are Anglican, do you think the Anglican Church provides the objective truth of what is needed to be saved. I mean, are you Anglican because you believe it to be the one true church. And more specifically, what flavor of Anglicanism contains the objective truth.

Am I deceiving myself by keeping my Roman baggage or should I simply discard it all and embrace fully the truth contained in the 1662 BCP, The Catechism, the 39 Articles and the homilies.

All my posts thus far have been leading to this question. In the words of Pilate, what is truth?

I tend to think that statements which are true are those which correspond to reality. Jesus is the Truth in that he guides us into the truth, primarily the truths we need to be spiritually healthy.

But there is the fact that we perceive everything through a subjective lens. That is simply a fact. We see "through a glass darkly." We perceive the world through mental models our brains create. We can never apprehend truth directly -- even this statement is inferred based on other considerations.

Anglicanism does not have a magisterium the way Rome does. There are some guidelines, some foundational statements, but we are not in the business of proclaiming dogmas out of minutiae.

It may take some getting used to, but you may need to accept that there is no organization that can just spoon feed you objective truth and give you all the answers. Discerning truth takes more work than that, and we can only ever apprehend it imperfectly. With time you can grow more comfortable with this.

Truth is discerned through relationship, through your relationship to yourself, to the world, to Jesus.

 

[Albion]

Over the past few days I have come to question quite a bit that was fed to me in the RC Church.

So I ask you... if you are Anglican, do you think the Anglican Church provides the objective truth of what is needed to be saved.

Yes

I mean, are you Anglican because you believe it to be the one true church.

I don't think in those terms. I think of what are essential doctrines. This is what allows Anglicans of different worship preferences to all be Anglicans.

And more specifically, what flavor of Anglicanism contains the objective truth.

Am I deceiving myself by keeping my Roman baggage or should I simply discard it all and embrace fully the truth contained in the 1662 BCP, The Catechism, the 39 Articles and the homilies.

That ^ would be my recommendation.

Anglicanism retained what was Apostolic and Scriptural, and even much that was optional, in Roman Catholicism while rejecting the doctrinal innovations that had crept into her. Is that not what you really are looking for? No other Western denomination/communion can claim that about itself.

 

[cseargent]

@everbecoming2007, @Albion... thank you both for your posts, you hit on the key issues that I needed resolved in my mind. Now I have a great deal of peace about my decision to leave Rome and become Episcopalian. Also I now feel like I have direction in my continuing conversion.

God bless everyone who posted on this thread. Your answers were a great, great help!

 

[lesliedellow]

dear friends... I think, or hope, we can all agree that truth is objective. There can only be one truth. When I was a Roman Catholic I believed I had cornered the market on the one and only truth given to me by the one and only true church.

Over the past few days I have come to question quite a bit that was fed to me in the RC Church.

So I ask you... if you are Anglican, do you think the Anglican Church provides the objective truth of what is needed to be saved. I mean, are you Anglican because you believe it to be the one true church. And more specifically, what flavor of Anglicanism contains the objective truth.

Am I deceiving myself by keeping my Roman baggage or should I simply discard it all and embrace fully the truth contained in the 1662 BCP, The Catechism, the 39 Articles and the homilies.

All my posts thus far have been leading to this question. In the words of Pilate, what is truth?

It is well nigh impossible to talk about THE Anglican theology. There may have been such a thing, once upon a time, but now it plays host to everything from ultra conservative young earth creationism, to theology so liberal it scarcely counts as Christian anymore.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

We believe what it says in Bible, and the Bible teachs/contains all things that are necessary for salvation.

But our faith is not one derived of authority, or because some body makes a declaration of what is so.

We are moulded through discipleship and the work of the Holy Spirit.

 

[No Swansong]

I'm not Anglican, but if you will allow me.

The Roman Church does in fact contain all the truth necessary for salvation. But I've always thought that the scholasticism of the Roman Church was both a blessing and a curse, so to say. Through that scholasticism I have leather a lot reading Catholic teaching, but in the attempt to fully explain everything, it often leads to divisions. I admire the Orthodox Church's ability to oftentimes say "it is a mystery".

Remain in the Roman Church.

I have been gone for quite a while but it is my understanding that those who are not Anglican/Old Catholic are not permitted to teach in this forum especially when it comes to advising a seeker looking into Anglicanism to stay within the RCC. Should I be incorrect, please advise me.

 

[Paidiske]

Nope, you're correct.