Religious views on truth vary both between and within
religion
Religion is a range of social system, social-cultural systems, including designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics in religion, ethics, or ...
s. The most universal concept of religion that holds true in every case is the inseparable nature of truth and religious belief. Each religion sees itself as the only path to truth. Religious truth, therefore, is never relative, always absolute.
According to an online edition of
Webster's Dictionary
''Webster's Dictionary'' is any of the US English language dictionaries edited in the early 19th century by Noah Webster (1758–1843), a US lexicographer, as well as numerous related or unrelated dictionaries that have adopted the Webster's n ...
, the word ''
Truth
Truth or verity is the Property (philosophy), property of being in accord with fact or reality.Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionarytruth, 2005 In everyday language, it is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise cor ...
'' is most often used to mean being in accord with
fact
A fact is a truth, true data, datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance. Standard reference works are often used to Fact-checking, check facts. Science, Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by ...
or
reality
Reality is the sum or aggregate of everything in existence; everything that is not imagination, imaginary. Different Culture, cultures and Academic discipline, academic disciplines conceptualize it in various ways.
Philosophical questions abo ...
, or fidelity to an original or standard.Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary truth 2005
Abrahamic religions
Christianity
Christian philosopher
William Lane Craig
William Lane Craig (; born August 23, 1949) is an American Analytic philosophy, analytic philosopher, Christian apologetics, Christian apologist, author, and theologian. He is a professor of philosophy at Houston Christian University and at the T ...
notes that the Bible typically uses the words ''true'' or ''truth'' in non-philosophical senses to indicate such qualities as fidelity, moral rectitude, and reality. However, it does sometimes use the word in the philosophical sense of veracity.
Some Christians believe that other authorities are sources of doctrinal truth. Catholics believe that the Pope is infallible when pronouncing on certain, rather specific, matters of church doctrine. On the day he was crucified, Jesus said, "For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." John 18:37. Pilate, did not know Jesus and infamously said, "What is truth?" John 18:38. Thus, the modern Christian must resolve contradictions and determine what became obsolete and reconciled by Jesus's ministry. Knowing God is "love" and "spirit" (words used by Jesus), are contrary to many brutal images of the Old Testament LORD, but are essential to discernment and instruction.
In
Christian Science
Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices which are associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes in ...
, (not recognised as a Christian organization by the bulk of mainstream churches) Truth is God.
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
Pope
The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
and the bishops, under the premise that they are in communion with the correct and true teachings of the faith which is shown in the
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' (; commonly called the ''Catechism'' or the ''CCC'') is a reference work that summarizes the Catholic Church's doctrine. It was Promulgation (Catholic canon law), promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1992 ...
. Sacred scripture and sacred tradition "make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God, which is entrusted to the Church", and the magisterium is not independent of this, since "all that it proposes for belief as being divinely revealed is derived from this single deposit of faith."
doctrine
Doctrine (from , meaning 'teaching, instruction') is a codification (law), codification of beliefs or a body of teacher, teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a ...
that the Protestant Bible "is without error or fault in all its teaching"; or, at least, that "Scripture in the original
manuscript
A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has ...
s does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact". Various interpretations have been applied, depending on the tradition. According to some interpretations of the doctrine, ''all'' of the Bible is without error, i.e., is to be taken as true, no matter what the issue. Other interpretations hold that the Bible is always true on important matters of
faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. In the context of religion, faith is " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion".
According to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, faith has multiple definitions, inc ...
, while other interpretations hold that the Bible is true but must be specifically interpreted in the context of the
language
Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed language, signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing syste ...
,
culture
Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...
and time that relevant passages were written.
Judaism
There is no unilateral agreement among the different denominations of Judaism concerning truth. In
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism is a collective term for the traditionalist branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Torah, Written and Oral Torah, Oral, as literally revelation, revealed by God in Ju ...
, truth is the revealed word of God, as found in the
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach" . '' Talmud
The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...
. For Hasidic Jews truth is also found in the pronouncements of their rebbe, or spiritual leader, who is believed to possess divine inspiration. Kotzk, a Polish Hasidic sect, was known for their obsession with truth.
In
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism, also known as Masorti Judaism, is a Jewish religious movements, Jewish religious movement that regards the authority of Jewish law and tradition as emanating primarily from the assent of the people through the generations ...
, truth is not defined as literally as it is among the Orthodox. While Conservative Judaism acknowledges the truth of the
halakha
''Halakha'' ( ; , ), also Romanization of Hebrew, transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Judaism, Jewish religious laws that are derived from the Torah, Written and Oral Torah. ''Halakha'' is ...
'', or Jewish law, Conservative Judaism believes that it can be modified or adapted depending on the needs of the people. In Orthodox Judaism, by contrast, the ''halakha'' is fixed (by the sages of the Talmud and later authorities); the present-day task, therefore, is to interpret the ''halakha'', but not to change it.
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish religious movements, Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its Jewish ethics, ethical aspects to its ceremo ...
takes a much more liberal approach to truth. It does not hold that truth is found only in the Tanakh; rather, there are kernels of truth to be found in practically every religious tradition. Moreover, its attitude towards the Tanakh is, at best, a document parts of which may have been inspired, but with no particular monopoly on truth, or in any way legally binding.
Islam
Honesty and truthfulness are very important concepts in Islamic law. Muslims are commanded to be honest in their dealings with others and also to oneself. Honesty involves not lying or cheating others, giving others their fair due even when it is not asked, giving objective opinions even when they count against you, and not obtaining property or money by fraud. Muslims must also fulfill their promises.
Another important concept is the belief that truth lies in Islam itself, as being the one true religion, and the ultimate answer to all moral questions. Muslims believe that there is no falseness or contradictions in Islam because "falseness or contradiction in one matter of the religion proves the falsity of the religion as a whole, since we would then doubt the integrity of its texts."
Indian religions
Sikhism
Mul Mantra
The First Part of the Guru Granth Sahib states one universal creator God, his name is truth. This demonstrates that God is equal and one. In the Mul Mantra the Guru explains that God is the truth and he wants you to keep him in your minds at all times. The guru says God is beyond our understanding of knowledge.
Buddhism
The Four Noble Truths
The Four Noble Truths are the most fundamental
Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
teachings and appear countless times throughout the most ancient Buddhist texts, the
Pali Canon
The Pāḷi Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhism, Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the most complete extant Early Buddhist texts, early Buddhist canon. It derives mainly from t ...
. They arose from Buddha's enlightenment and are regarded in Buddhism as deep spiritual insight, not as philosophical theory, with Buddha noting in the Samyutta Nikaya: "These Four Noble Truths, monks, are actual, unerring, not otherwise. Therefore, they are called noble truths."''The Collected Discourses of the Buddha: A new translation of the Samyutta Nikaya'', Bhikkhu Bodhi, 2000
The Four Noble Truths are as follows:
* '' dukkha'' (suffering, incapable of satisfying, painful) is an innate characteristic of existence in the realm of '' samsara'';Four Noble Truths: BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY Encyclopaedia Britannica, Quote: "The first truth, suffering (Pali: dukkha; Sanskrit: duhkha), is characteristic of existence in the realm of rebirth, called samsara (literally "wandering")."
* ''
samudaya
In Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths (; ; "The Four arya satya") are "the truths of the noble one ( the Buddha)," a statement of how things really are ( the three marks of existence) when they are seen correctly ( right view).
The four truths ...
'' (origin, arising) of this ''dukkha'', which arises or "comes together" with '' taṇhā'' ("craving, desire or attachment");Four Noble Truths: BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY Encyclopaedia Britannica, Quote: "The second truth is the origin (Pali and Sanskrit: samudaya) or cause of suffering, which the Buddha associated with craving or attachment in his first sermon."
* '' nirodha'' (cessation, ending) of this ''dukkha'' can be attained by the renouncement or letting go of this ''taṇhā'';
* '' marga'' (path,
Noble Eightfold Path
The Noble Eightfold Path () or Eight Right Paths () is an early summary of the path of Buddhist practices leading to liberation from samsara, the painful cycle of rebirth, in the form of nirvana.
The Eightfold Path consists of eight pra ...
) is the path leading to renouncement of ''tanha'' and cessation of ''dukkha''., Quote: "This, bhikkhus, is the noble truth that is the way leading to the ending of suffering. This is the eightfold path of the noble ones: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. .The Buddha taught the fourth truth, maarga (Pali, magga), the path that has eight parts, as the means to end suffering."
Two Truths Doctrine
The two truths doctrine in
Buddhism
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
differentiates between two levels of
truth
Truth or verity is the Property (philosophy), property of being in accord with fact or reality.Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionarytruth, 2005 In everyday language, it is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise cor ...
in Buddhist
discourse
Discourse is a generalization of the notion of a conversation to any form of communication. Discourse is a major topic in social theory, with work spanning fields such as sociology, anthropology, continental philosophy, and discourse analysis. F ...
, a "relative", or commonsense truth (Tibetan: ''kun-rdzob bden-pa''; Sanskrit: ''samvrtisatya''), and an "ultimate" or absolute spiritual truth (Tibetan: ''don-dam bden-pa''; Sanskrit: ''paramarthasatya''). Stated differently, the Two Truths Doctrine holds that truth exists in conventional and ultimate forms, and that both forms are co-existent. Other schools, such as
Dzogchen
Dzogchen ( 'Great Completion' or 'Great Perfection'), also known as ''atiyoga'' ( utmost yoga), is a tradition of teachings in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and Bön aimed at discovering and continuing in the ultimate ground of existence. The goal ...
, hold that the Two Truths Doctrine are ultimately resolved into nonduality as a lived experience and are non-different. The doctrine is an especially important element of
Buddhism
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
and was first expressed in complete modern form by
Nagarjuna
Nāgārjuna (Sanskrit: नागार्जुन, ''Nāgārjuna''; ) was an Indian monk and Mahayana, Mahāyāna Buddhist Philosophy, philosopher of the Madhyamaka (Centrism, Middle Way) school. He is widely considered one of the most importa ...
Although, historically, Jain authors have adopted different views on truth, the most prevalent is the system of '' anekantavada'' or "not-one-sidedness". This idea of truth is rooted in the notion that there is one truth, but only enlightened beings can perceive it in its entirety; unenlightened beings perceive only one side of the truth (''ekanta''). ''Anekantavada'' works around the limitations of a one-sided view of truth by proposing multiple vantage points (''nayas'') from which truth can be viewed (cf. '' Nayavāda''). Recognizing that there are multiple possible truths about any particular thing, even mutually exclusive truths, Jain philosophers developed a system for synthesizing these various claims, known as '' syadvada''. Within the system of ''syadvada'', each truth is qualified to its particular view-point; that is "in a certain way", one claim or another or both may be true.