What is truth and does it matter?

EXPLORING CHRISTIANITY - TRUTH

THE BIBLE
Can we trust a book written 2000 years ago?

EYEWITNESS
Did the writers of the New Testament get their picture of Jesus right?

GOD - MAN
Is Jesus really God?

RESURRECTION
Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

RELIGIONS
With so many religions, why Christianity?

SUFFERING
If there is a God, why is there so much suffering?

TRINITY
Understanding the Trinity.

SCIENCE
The complementary nature of Science & Christianity.

FORGIVENESS
What it is and why it matters?

GUIDANCE
How does God guide?

REPENTANCE
What it is and why you can't get to heaven without it.

BORN AGAIN
What does it mean to be converted and born again?

SAVING FAITH
The kind of faith that will get you to heaven

ASSURANCE
Can I know for sure that I am going to heaven?

TRUTH
What is truth and does it matter?

MORALITY
Does it matter how we live? A Christian view of morality.

THE CHURCH
God's vision for his family, the Church. A call to the churches of the new millennium.

PURPOSE
How can I find a great purpose for living?

IDENTITY
Who am I; Finding my true identity as a human being and as a child of God.

SELF-ESTEEM
How can I feel good about my self? The Christian basis for proper sel-esteem.

LIFE AFTER DEATHChristianity's Hope & Challenge.

THE CROSS
Why did Jesus Die? What the Bible says about the Cross.

Grace
The importance of grace in the New Testament.

Foreword

A new title in this admirable series of booklets lives up to the standards set by its predecessors. The question it deals with is perhaps THE basic question in our Western culture, for if a common truth for us all does not exist then there is no point in writing or in reading this booklet. So much in our society asserts that all that matters is what is "true for me" or "for you" and many are influenced by this in their views of morals, or religion, or life-style, and now even of science. But of course we cannot consistently live this way as one nation, so in fact we all have to trust one another in sharing a common truth to a considerable degree in our daily lives.

This means that our theory and our practice are all of a jumble, and between the proclaimed theory and at least some of the practice there is much inconsistency, if not actual hypocrisy. No wonder our country is all at sea, for the truth question runs across all dimensions of life, including the arts, and especially morality, and above all religion.

Dick Tripp's essay deals especially with these last dimensions and affirms the truth of the Christian faith among the main competing worldviews. His simple summary account of these is something we should all have readily available in our minds and be able to use to sort out and test the jumble of views tumbling about in our society. These pages are well illustrated by apt quotation and Scripture reference, and provide a clear, common-sense presentation of the essence of the issue. They should provide anyone who takes these matters at all seriously with a good start on the important question of truth in our lives.

Rev. Dr Harold Turner MA, DD, DD(Hons)
Formerly teacher of theology and religious studies in overseas universities.
In retirement, founder of "The DeepSight Trust: A New Zealand Initiative for Religion and Cultures".