That's Your Opinion

You'll hear it all the time. Make a statement about truth that is less than popular or somewhat controversial and someone, perhaps lots of someones, is going to say, "Well, that's your opinion." If they're kind.

What is the point of such a statement? Well, there is an unspoken thought behind it. "That's your opinion ... but, of course, you're wrong." The fact that it's generally unspoken generally means that you're also left without the benefit of reasons why you're wrong or why they're right. But the real point is the impossibility of absolute certainty. You can't absolutely know that what you said was the truth. The implied question is, "Can we know anything without a doubt?"

I find the position oddly self-refuting. That is, they will typically offer "That's your opinion" as a method of denying my position. But when they do it they are saying, "My opinion is right and yours is wrong." Which is what the complaint about me was in the first place. So they complain that I claim to know something and argue that they know I'm wrong.

When I hear "That's your opinion", what I usually hear is Pilate's sarcastic "What is truth?" It's as if the ultimate sin in this world is to be sure. So I've examined the text and context and language and looked at the historical views and read the commentaries and asked people who know and all come to the same conclusion, but ... "That's your opinion." I might even claim Jesus's words--"You shall know the truth." But, "That's your opinion." I can point out that text, context, language, orthodoxy, history, and everything else militates against your view, but, "That's your opinion." The best they can offer is, "Oh, yeah? Well, how do you know you're not wrong?" Fair question, I suppose, but I just listed the reasons. It doesn't matter. "That's your opinion" trumps logic, evidence, reason, history, everything.

It's largely because we live in a relativistic world. In this world truth is what you make of it, often merely what you feel. "Yeah, sure, every piece of physical evidence says I'm a man, but I feel like a woman, so I am." You'll find it even in some of the broad corridors of Christendom. "Yes, I know that my interpretation is different than anyone else prior to 2001 (or whatever recent date you'd like to name), but they were all wrong and I've figured it out." Why? "Because, that's my opinion. And while yours is wrong, mine is right."

It's largely because we live in a relativistic world, but there is a core problem, an underlying reason.

The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness ... For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man ..." (Rom 1:18, 23, 21-22)