3. Rules for the Cave

… in which we establish certain “rules” that will be followed as matters are discussed and arguments are set forth.

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5

Common Sense is dead! As to the when and why of its passing, the answers to such questions are for another time.

Were Common Sense still alive, this post would be unnecessary; the points covered below would be taken for granted in the broader culture. Everyone would understand them, by intuition if not by explicit definition.

Thus, we now sally forth to review some assumptions (ways of understanding) that are distinctively Christian and I want to set them before readers as “Rules of the Cave.” (NOTE: while I mark them as distinctively Christian, I am not saying that they are exclusively Christian.)

These “rules” are the standards – or norms, if you will – that are to frame the approach taken to the topics to be discussed. (The typical courtesies that go with blogging - about rudeness, crudeness, respect, and so on, for this type of Blog, you are assumed to know.)

In brief, these assumptions are:

1. Reality, with a capital “R” is real and exists apart from us. It is built on objective content. This is true of both tangible reality (physical stuff) and intangible reality (ideas and principles). Yes, we experience reality subjectively, but there is always an real external reference point.

2. Revelation and reason are “above” feelings. Psychology is subordinate to philosophy, which is subordinate to theology .

3. The objective content of reality is built on the 3 laws of classical logic:

i. A thing is what is it is. (A = A)(Up is always up)

ii. A thing (i.e. a proposition) cannot be true and not true at the same time and in the same relationship.(A ≠ Non-A) (The light cannot be On and Off – that is, On for you and Off for me.)

iii. A thing cannot be neither true nor false. (neither A nor non-A) In other words, a truth claim must be either true or false.

4. Reality dictates that these laws are universal in their operation. There is no time, place, culture, or language in the universe where they do not operate.

Of the three Laws of Logic, the 2nd Law (ii.) is the one most frequently violated in our secular culture of relativism. It is traditionally known as the Law of Non-Contradiction (LNC). Although I never studied logic in school – much to my lasting regret! – I have long been acquainted with it: in the late 1980’s I taught a Grade 7-8 Sunday School class to whom I explained – multiple times – that the light in our classroom was either On or Off (as I flicked the light switch for dramatic effect).

When I say the law is "violated," I mean that people make truth claims that, logically, cannot be true - and that are, therefore, nonsense: Example: abortion can be right for me and wrong for you. 2nd example: there is no Absolute Truth. Well, actually, the truth claim that there is no Absolute Truth is being made as the one truth claim that is absolutely true.

And this is where the Law of Non-Contradiction has real “bite:” in every case where you deny the LNC, you cannot avoid affirming the LNC.

Note that the Laws of Logic have great practical application throughout the entire universe. At one level, they apply functionally: they are the basis of order in physical matter and energy (electrons opposite protons). At a deeper level – that I would call “foundational” – we use them every time we think or speak. Words only have meaning, and sensible communication is only possible, as long as the Laws are honoured.

The secular culture persists in ignoring or denying the Laws of Logic, especially the Law of Non-Contradiction. To the extent that it “succeeds” in this, the culture descends ever more deeply into confusion and chaos, i.e. disorder. We shall devote more attention to this in future posts; for today, we observe that this is what makes our world increasingly strange and disorienting.

What I find most striking about the Laws of Logic is their “Trinitarian” structure that is expressed in Scripture. Take note:

i. The 1st Law (The Law of Identity): A = A; a thing is what it is, reflecting the pattern of God’s (Yahweh’s) personal – I Am Who I Am (Ex. 3:14).

ii. The 2nd Law, the Law of Non-Contradiction is confirmed in: “… God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 Jn. 1:5)

iii. The 3rd Law – that a truth claim must be either true or false – is clearly behind Jesus’ statement, ”Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Mt. 12:30, ESV)

As I said, these distinctives are not exclusive to Christianity, but they are clearly among Christianity’s distinctives, and they are the Rules for Elijah’s Cave. Their proper use is essential if we are to understand our culture and to respond faithfully. I will follow them rigorously.

Feel free to “call me out” when I fail.