The Unauthorized Homily

By Bill Dunn

A commentary on the Scripture readings from the Sunday Lectionary

(Scripture readings for Sunday, April 29th: Acts 13:14; Revelation 7:9, 14-17; John 10:27-30)

DO SUBJECTIVE FEELINGS EQUAL OBJECTIVE TRUTH?

Three guys were in a house standing by the picture window. Suddenly, a gray furry animal ran across the lawn, under the bushes, and into the neighbor’s yard. The three men got only a brief glimpse of the animal as it ran by.

The first guy said, “That was a cat.”

The second guy said, “No, that was a squirrel.”

The third guy said, “No, you’re both wrong. That was a rabbit.”

By using basic logic and reason, we understand that only one of their statements can be true. Maybe none of the statements were true—the animal might have been a fox or a small dog or a mouse on steroids. The one thing we can say for sure, however, is that it is IMPOSSIBLE for all three statements to be true.

Now let’s think of another scenario. Three women were having lunch in a restaurant. The first woman ordered a side dish of broccoli, and said, “I just love the taste of broccoli. I can’t get enough of it.”

The second woman said, “Ugh! I hate the taste of broccoli. I get queasy just thinking about it.”

The third woman said, “Broccoli has no taste for me. It doesn’t taste good, it doesn’t taste bad. It just tastes like…nothing.”

Now in this case, even though the women made three very different statements, we understand that each statement is true.

Why is it with the three guys, at the most only one of them was correct, but with the three women, all of them were correct? Well, that’s easy. It’s because women are smarter than men.

No, wait, that’s not it. The difference is the type of statements being made.

The three men made statements about EXTERNAL, OBJECTIVE REALITY. They made statements about the particular species of the gray, furry animal. There is only one right answer.

The three women, on the other hand, made statements about INTERNAL, SUBJECTIVE FEELINGS. They made statements about their personal tastes concerning broccoli. There are as many right answers as there are people.

In the 10th chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus declared, “The Father and I are one.” He was not offering His internal, subjective feelings about His relationship with God. He was making a specific statement about external, objective reality.

Just like the statements made by the three guys looking out the window, Jesus’ statement is either true or it’s false. He is either one-in-being with the Almighty Creator of the Universe, or He was grossly in error.

Religious doctrines are statements about external, objective reality: the existence and nature of God; the identity of Jesus Christ; the nature of our eternal souls; our destination after death; the correct path to Heaven; etc. (And ALL religions, not just Christianity, make these kind of specific external declarations.)

Our modern culture makes the mistake of classifying religious doctrines as nothing more than internal, subjective feelings, as if they were nothing more than our opinions about the taste of broccoli. A common view nowadays regarding religious beliefs is: “If it’s true for you, then it’s true.” This view may help avoid arguments, but it the most illogical, nonsensical statement you can make.

If one person says, “God is real,” and another person says, “God is a myth,” do we tell them both, “If it’s true for you, then it’s true”? Of course not. It is impossible for both statements to be true, since each statement makes a very clear and very opposing declaration about external, objective reality.

This brings us to a very important point: reality is completely indifferent to our opinions about it. If all three men looking out the window believed the furry animal was a cat—but it actually was a squirrel—the animal’s species would not suddenly change because of their opinions.

If God is real and some people believe God is a myth, He does not cease to exist because of those opinions. In the same way, if God does not exist but people believe that He is real, He does not suddenly come into existence because of their opinions. The reality about the existence and nature of God is completely indifferent to our opinions about it.

The question of whether or not we can ever know the truth about the existence and nature of God is a separate subject for another day. (Many assume it is impossible to know for sure, which is why usually rational, intelligent people take the illogical “If it’s true for you…” position. Their desire to avoid conflict causes them to make an incredibly dumb statement.)

There is a wealth of compelling evidence backing up the claims of Christianity, but before that evidence can be investigated, it is critical to understand that the core doctrines of the Faith are not internal, subjective feelings. They are bold declarations about external, objective reality.

When Jesus said, “The Father and I are one,” and His other narrow, politically incorrect statement, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” He was not describing His internal feelings. He was making clear statements about external reality. If He was correct, then it’s the greatest news the world has ever heard. If He was wrong, then He was a nut case and anyone who worships Him 2,000 years later is a fool.

Each person must investigate the evidence and decide whether Jesus’ statements were true or not. But please don’t make the mistake of thinking that it’s nothing more than a matter of personal opinion.

©2007