Absolute Moral Truth Exists

A vital worldview question centers on moral truth: whether ethical standards exist absolutely or just relatively. Surprisingly, among Americans overall, only 34% express belief in absolute moral truth not subject to individual whims or cultural shifts. This indicates a strong relativist view of ethics permeating the broader culture.

More concerning is that even among self-identified Christians, less than half – just 46% – affirm the reality of absolute moral principles grounded objectively in God’s nature and commands. This means over half of professing believers actually adopt a more relativistic view of right and wrong rather than anchoring morality in divine revelation.

The 14 percentage point gap between Christians and the general population, while significant, may partly reflect differences in survey interpretation. Some Christians may conceive of “absolute truth” more in theological than ethical terms. But the less than majority result still suggests a noteworthy minority subscribe to relativist ideas undermining biblical morality.

Several factors probably contribute to this ethical fuzziness. Fear of perceived intolerance or judgments about lifestyles may motivate some Christians to shy from moral absolutism. Pluralism’s influence fosters embracing all views equally valid. And rampant individualism rejects external authority and embraces self-derived “values.”

Whatever the sources, the fact that less than half of Christians affirm absolute moral reality raises alarms. Without ethical foundations in God’s unchanging character, “truth” becomes arbitrary and ever-shifting. This paves the way for the strong imposing views on the weak. Relativism offers no stable basis for social justice or protection of human rights and dignity.

These statistics reveal a pressing need for Christian leaders to reinforce that God constitutes the source of moral knowledge, not just through spiritual regeneration but by illuminating timeless ethical realities grounded in his nature. As Christians recognize that biblical Christianity uniquely upholds human value by connecting rights and dignity to the imago dei, more may affirm absolute divine revelation as the starting point for moral reasoning. Anchoring morality in God’s Word provides a bulwark against ethical ambiguity leading to injustice. By winsomely teaching these truths, the church may further bolster Christians’ confidence in moral absolutes.