"What is truth?" (John 18:38)

What is meant by absolute knowledge?

Knowledge by necessity?

Omniscience?

Or, the ability to know whatever is needed?

I think we could gorge ourselves on this word smorgasbord and yet remain hungry.

It seems we have at bottom the question of the difference--if any--between "truth" and "belief". To me they are for all practical purposes the same (I'm following Chas. S. Pierce, in his notion that it's all opiinion). But Truth (with upper case T) is the equivalent of Reality. We may never know them intellectually, but we can "know" them phenomenologically or mystically. We just can't share them in the form of unambiguous theoretical propositions. They are ineffable, non-verbal, private and immediate.

Which puts Jesus' apparent assertion at odds with some current philosophical thought.

You are correct ..... an exchange based only on semantics is at most less than productive in answering a question. Would the addition of the word 'change' alter my initial question as to the nature of truth?

Truth is RARELY Church Dogma- but what the scriptures clearly say!

The "scriptures" were written by man. Since linguistic data cannot be interpreted except with respect to prevailing socio-cultural norms, the concept that they clearly capture" eternal truth" is wish fulfilment on the part of those who succumb to "word magic". Hypnosis relies on such a trait.

(See whole thread)

One might argue, some do, that next Thursday is just another day in the life of Joe Egg, that architecture is a pile of stones, wives are tax breaks, (being polite), educational qualifications, membership of any organisation including the nation state and much else are all forms of wish fulfilment on the part of those who succumb to "word magic". And, unlike, eternal truth, easily proved to be so.

Picking and choosing being nothing but aspects of snobbery.

What is truth?

Truth is my wife has a passion for Kraft Diner with fried wieners, but she does not want me to make it for her, as it would sully the memories of her youth, by revealing its true nature.

Thus truth is an ideal, spoiled by its application!

Oops.......Dinner.

What is meant by absolute knowledge?
absolute knowledge - means perfect or complete knowledge.
perfect or complete knowledge - means knowledge about God.
knowledge about God - means knowledge about the Truth.
Therefore, Truth is absolute knowledge.

You agree, then, that there is at least one absolute. . . ?

Ah, yes

He explained it SO MANY TIMES, it's AMAZING there can be any question:
He taught what HE had been taught by his God and Father- Jehovah!
(Yahweh)

There cannot be more than ONE absolute (at least that is so BY DEFINITION). Multiplicity implies relativity.

I think we mean by "absolulte knowledge" COMPLETE knowledge (and that, it seems to me, is unlikely to exist)--at least we c0uld not know if it is complete; there may always be something more around the corner.

I'm having fun baiting Kenyon.

Yes.

I'm reminded of Bertrand Russell's observation that, with all the competing religions in the world, only one may be right.

I happen to believe there is one

Welcome back, oh Mad One.

...................................."What is truth?"

'Truth' is the one, which is permanent or everlasting or eternal.

What can make Me('Truth') afraid?

I care not for nature's laws. Death is a joke to me and I am the death of death. I am the Infinite, the Eternal, and the Immortal Self. Me no fire can burn, no water dissolve, no air dry, and no sword pierce, I am that Supreme Self before whose magnitude the suns and moons and all their systems appear as insignificant specks in the ocean and before whose glory space melts away into nothingness

Ken, go for it. I hope there is some way you can explore the practical entailments of such a perspective--and then share them with us.

Do folks get sunburn when they stand too close to you?

JLN,

Nice to see you !

Maybe Kenson's "perpetual epiphany" has out-moded "the rapture".