Not long after I arrived in this land, I was invited to attend a Christian Bible study group. The people there were very kind and friendly. To my surprise, most of the group members were highly educated. Some had master's or doctoral degrees and were successful in their professional careers. As I watched these highly educated elites studying that thin book, the Bible, it brought back memories of the way we studied Chairman Mao's literature during the Cultural Revolution. I felt perplexed and disliked what I saw.

Later, I found out that Christians regard the Bible as the Absolute Truth. Not only does one verse of Scripture outweigh the value of millions of other sayings, but to them, the Bible provides answers to all things -- from astronomy to history, politics to economics, moral issues, marriage and family issues -- you name it. In other words, the Bible is unconditionally the ultimate truth. No doubts or questions should ever be raised.

For people like me who have come from Mainland China, the word "truth" immediately invokes doubt in our minds. Is it just another good sounding slogan or another set of beliefs? In the past, I chanted the same slogan and seriously sought after truth. The book "Pragmatism" states: " The practice and experience of the people in society is the standard and vehicle by which one understands anything that is new and external. In other words, the standard of truth hinges on the practice of a society." The experiences of our generation have proved that all the truth in this world is relative and limited. For some it may be the Truth, but for others it may not be.

Similarly, this applies to Biblical truth. Christians believe the Bible as the Absolute Truth because the Bible claims that "All scripture is God breathed" and "Thy Word is truth". With this theme woven throughout the whole book to form a coherent whole, Christians regard it as the Truth.

However in my opinion, Christianity is just an organization. It requires a "constitution" to govern its doctrines and its members' conduct. The Bible's self-proclamation as the Absolute Truth is like a web hanging in the air supported by its own network of communication.

Let's look at Christians' practice of the Truth. I notice that different churches have different interpretations of the Truth. Pastors have different opinions on practical issues like the structure of church government, women's role, divorce, remarriage, etc. How could one absolute revelation from God produce so many different conclusions? Even if all Christians agreed on the above issues, I have noticed that many Christians' walk is not much different from those who believe in other "isms" in Mainland China. I do not understand why absolute truth is not able to bring about an absolute practice.

I do respect some Christians who honestly try to live out the teachings of the Bible. I have witnessed the fruits of their submission to the truth, such as benevolence, honesty, kindness, respect for human rights and willingness to abide by the law. I acknowledge that it is better for individuals and for society as a whole to have religious beliefs and practices than to believe in atheism. But I still cannot believe that there is Absolute Truth in this world or the existence of an Absolute Being.

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Abridged from pg. 10, February 1995 issue Overseas Campus Magazine