Finding Truth in the Land of the Excluded Middle

   

 

     If you've ever taken a Logic class or perhaps you've taken the initiative to take up and read a book on Logic yourself, you've been introduced to the Laws of Logic. There are three Laws of Logic: 1) the Law of Identity which asserts that if a statement is true then it must be true, and 2) the Law of Non-Contradiction which asserts the impossibility of a statement being both true and false concurrently, and 3) the Law of the Excluded Middle which states that a statement is either true or false there is no middle ground.

             These laws form the foundation of logical argumentation and govern our ability to reason and hence, discern truth from falsity. 

             Our postmodernist culture is not a fan of the Laws of Logic. Postmodernism says there are no trustworthy and enduring laws and logic is simply utilitarian i.e. whatever works for you. This is tragically on display in our public discourse. One man screams out his argument while contradicting himself multiple times along the way. But all the ad hominems he spews are sure to get plenty of clicks and views. These kinds of fallacious 'arguments' are most disturbing when they come from our political leaders, and worse yet, those who occupy the pulpits of America.

          Thankfully, in God's sovereignty, there remains those who still insist on logical argumentation in their quest for truth. And here's where the dependable Laws of Logic find their use. The Laws of Logic insist on non-relative truth. What is found to be true cannot at the same time be found to be false. One cannot hold fast to their 'own truth' by saying, "Well, maybe it's not true to you, but it's true to me.".

        Either something is true, or it is not. We can't say as we stand outside in the rain that it's raining for me but not for you. Either it's true that is indeed raining or it's not. There is no middle possibility.

        But the idea of a 'personal truth' is very attractive to our egalitarian mind. Having 'a truth' in opposition to another 'truth' doesn't seem illogical at all to our post-modern culture. Even the pulpits of our churches have welcomed this logical impossibility into their midst as preachers tell their congregations that the God of today is not the God of yesterday and what was true then is not so true today. 

       To do this is to rob the Christian not just of truth, but of beauty as well. For there is beauty in truth. Or perhaps more accurately, beauty springs from truth. The truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the foundation of beauty. we stand on the firm foundation of the truth in order to see the beauty of God's Kingdom. In God's Word we read that even our feet are seen as beautiful when we are carrying the truth of God's Good News (Isaiah 52:7).

      So with the truth comes beauty, the truth is intrinsically beautiful. Why? Because Christ, God's Logos, is Truth and He is the 'radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being (Hebrews 1:3).

     Therefore, Truth ought to be the Christians foundational starting point and our ultimate conclusion. And our fidelity to Truth keeps the Christian from being a victim of worldly lies.

     For our world is filled with lies seeking to fill the ears of man so he might conform himself to this fallen world. This is why St. Paul warns us to renew our minds in Christ (Truth) so we would be able to test and approve God's perfect will (Romans 12:2).

     And, again, the Laws of Logic prove to be so helpful. Some say truth is relative. God says He is Truth (John 14:6). In other words, it is due to God alone that we have truth. He is the ultimate truth and from Him flows all truth. Is God relative? Is the God of Scripture one thing to some and yet something different to others? The Law of the Excluded Middle says these two ideas cannot both be true. Either God gives us truth or man makes up his own 'truths' and hence, there is no truth.

    Whether it's proclaiming that there are infinite genders, or that homosexual relations are not only acceptable but something to be proud of, or any of the other lies of this fallen world, the Law of the Excluded Middle tells us these claims, in the face of God's Truth, must be false.

    If we accept God's Word as Truth, we must see any deviation from it as false. And if we accept God's Word as Truth we will not succumb to the lies of this world. The Christian can have great confidence in God's Word for it is Truth and if it is Truth then anything that comes in opposition to it must be false. Hat tip to the Law of the excluded Middle.

   This world is full of lawbreakers, yet the Christian loves and embraces God's laws (Psalm 119:97). For we are people who know Truth. The world lies but God never does. If there is ever a contradiction between the claims of the culture around us and the Word of God, we know they both cannot be true. There are only two sexes, men cannot become women, women cannot become men, and sinful relationships are not a source of pride.

    So the next time someone claims a 'truth' that is exclusively their own, introduce them to the Law of the Excluded Middle and the God of Truth.