"You mean the baby is killed? After it's born?" Judith asked.
"Not really. According to the law, they have one hour, but usually the genetic scan is completed and added to the social/economic score within ten minutes. So whether the fetus is terminated a few minutes before birth, or the 'baby' is terminated a few minutes after birth, it's the same. At most it's only 'alive' for a little while, and the result is much better for the rest of us."
"What sorts of things are scored?"
"Oh, you know, all of the genetic flags for diseases like cancer and hemophilia, heart murmur ...the things you'd expect.
And then the parents are graded for income, intelligence, and those kinds of things. The points are added up, and if they don't reach 105, the fetus or baby is terminated. The Vote is asking whether to raise The Score to 110."
Judith shook her head silently.
Ashley smiled. "Hey, it's not bad. We're just helping Natural Selection with new technology. In fact, it's good. Remember how we had all of those unwed mothers giving birth thirty years ago, causing dysfunctional non-families? Now they assign negative 25 points to any unwed parent situation, so that baby has to be really special to pass. The result is far fewer teenage girls having babies. It's a huge improvement."
Thomas looked down at his drink. "I guess Jonathon would have been 'terminated' at birth."
Ashley looked at Thomas and frowned. "Oh, no. I don't think so. Dylan?"
"I don't know," her husband replied in a low voice. Silence hung in the air.
Finally, Ashley said, "The time is almost up. I...I'm going to vote to leave it at 105." She pressed her keypad and a window on the screen registered that her "No" vote had been recorded.
"Me, too," Dylan added, and his vote was also recorded. "All right, does anyone else need a refill?" He stood.
"Yes, thanks," Thomas said, handing his glass to his host, his face still very serious.
The screen changed. "Here's an easier one," Ashley smiled. "The legal drinking age should be raised from 16 to 21. Yes or No."
"Sixteen?" Thomas asked.
"Crazy isn't it? That's the only problem with The Vote. Last year a lot of young people put a big block together to lower the age to 16, and I guess many folks just weren't looking or didn't vote, so it carried by a narrow margin. This year we're correcting it."
"For this past year sixteen year olds have been able to drink legally?"
"Yes. But not for much longer, we hope."
Thomas nodded. "I see. But going back to that last question, you said that you assign negative 25 birth points for the baby of an unwed mother. What are some other examples?"
"Well, they assign negative 10 points if one parent didn't finish high school, plus 15 if the parents are gay or from a minority, to correct for past discrimination, and negative 20 if one parent has a criminal record. Just normal stuff that you'd expect."
"You've got to be kidding," Judith almost whispered. "Why?" Ashley answered. "It's actually pretty reasonable.
We're just assisting Evolution to create the most productive people, while assuring that the best of the lower orders survive."
Thomas raised his hand. "Wait a minute. You're telling us that on the margin you 'terminate' more babies born to less educated parents because they are lower on the 'Evolutionary Order'?"
"Yes," Ashley nodded. "What's wrong with that?" "I..." Thomas just shook his head.
"I mean," Ashley continued, "we know how important 'Diversity' is--celebrating how different we are. It only makes sense that if we are different, then some are better than others.
And that's exactly what Evolution says, too. So it all fits. And, again, it's not that we're killing anyone, for God's sake-unless you call a baby less than an hour old a 'person'-it's just that we're insuring through this point system that the best of the less desirables do survive, and then they are welcome in our society."
Glancing at each other, Judith and Thomas each took a sip from their glasses. Then Thomas moved forward on the couch. "Do I understand that with The Vote you could reinstate slavery, or decide that everyone over 90 ought to die, or anything you wanted?"
"Technically yes," Dylan answered, "but no one would ever vote for those things."
"Why not?"
Dylan smiled. "Because you just know that they're not right.
I mean, it's obvious."
"It is? What if some scientific study showed that slavery is, on balance, best for society?"
"Don't be silly," Ashley said. "We know that slavery isn't right."
"How?"
"We just know. One person shouldn't enslave another. It's obvious." She stood and walked to the kitchen.
Thomas turned to Dylan. "But if right and wrong are not based on some absolute concepts, and are determined by a vote of the society, then why couldn't the society decide that slavery is a great idea? Or that children ought to be raised in state institutions, rather than by their parents? Or whatever?"
"Thomas, you exaggerate. We would never vote for things like that." head.
"How do you know?" Judith asked, slightly shaking her
Ashley, walking in from the kitchen, said, "People just know that those things wouldn't be right." "How?"
"I don't know. They just know." She put a tray of cheese and crackers on the coffee table and sat down again.
Their Australian friends frowned. Thomas said, "Some of the things you've already told us seem pretty abhorrent to us, since we're from 'backward' Australia. If there's no truth except that everything is relative, and society decides truth on its own, then it seems to us that in fact anything is possible. And you seem to be proving that today."
"I wouldn't worry too much," Dylan said, picking up a cracker and adding a slice of cheese. "People are pretty reasonable and good. We don't think that there's much chance for abuse."
"But that's the thing. 'Abuse' is the wrong word, because it implies that you know right from wrong in the first place. With this system, right and wrong change every year. You can't 'abuse' anyone, because there is no standard to measure that term against. It's whatever you make it."
"We believe people are good at heart, so they know right from wrong inside."
Judith asked, "Really? Is that what Evolution and Natural Selection show us?"
"What do you mean?"
"How does Evolution create 'good' in someone's heart?
Seems like only the strong and merciless would survive, not the 'good,' the one who might perish trying to help someone else."
Ashley laughed. "You're confusing me with all of this theory. I just know that The Vote is good, and it's working fine. We're evolving as a society without the hindrances of those supposed 'absolute truths' that some people used to talk about all the time. Honey, can you refresh my drink?"
Thomas sat forward. "They don't talk about absolute truth anymore?"
Dylan stood. "We voted two years ago that since there are no absolute truths, no one can talk about them. Not in public, at least. We believe that people who try to fill our children with those sorts of thoughts are a detriment to our nation. Since Evolution and Relative Truth are proven facts, it's not fair to our children to cloud their minds with anything else.
"OK, honey," Dylan said, turning toward his wife. "We've got to vote on this one. Then there are, let's see, twenty-two more. Judith and Thomas, are you comfortable?"
Lie #5: There are no absolute truths. All truth is relative to the person and the situation.
Truth: God has created immutable physical laws by which the universe runs in a predictable manner. He has also created absolute truths for human behavior and revealed them to us in His Word, the Bible, and in the life of His son, Jesus Christ. These Truths do not change with circumstances; they are always true. When we do not follow them, we inevitably suffer negative consequences. These consequences may come immediately, or days, weeks or years later; but the negative consequences are just as true and predictable as is a chemical equation. Through His grace, God has
also provided the way to restore our relationship with Him: belief in His son, who is that Way.
http://www.cultural-relativism.com/
http://www.frc.org/religion-in-public-life
http://www.thetruthproject.org/
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/media/the-truth-project/experts-on-postmodernism-and-relativism
Colossians 2:8
Ephesians 6:13-18
2 Timothy 4:3-4
Romans 1:16-23
John 18:33-39
Beckwith, Francis J. and Gregory Koukl. Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air. Baker Books, 1998.
Bruce, Tammy. The Death of Right and Wrong. Crown Forum, 2004.
Copan, Paul. True for You, But Not for Me. Bethany House Publishers, 2009.
Guinness, Os. Time for Truth. Baker Books, 2002.
Veith, Jr., Gene Edward. Postmodern Times. Crossway Books, 1994.
Goldberg, Jonah. Liberal Fascism. Doubleday, 2007.
For the latest updates go to parkerhudson.com/blog. There are posts on Truth at this link and at this link. Please enjoy the Post Archives by Category and Tags.
Notes:
6
Leadership
Charlie Tate sat alone in his apartment near the university campus, the huge textbook open on the desk in front of him. He was tall, handsome and usually very much in charge. Except that right now, Charlie Tate couldn't believe his bad luck. He'd been accepted to the best business school in the country, but first he had to graduate with at least a 3.0 average. And tomorrow's Biology exam stood in the way.
This is so stupid! I don't need Biology for business. I should have studied more during the spring, but I hate all this science stuff.
Despite his many gifts and skills, science had never been a strength for him, and a bad final exam grade would undo all of his plans.
He turned the page to yet another diagram full of impossible names, took a sip of coffee, and tried to make sense of it. The phone rang next to him.
"Hey, Charlie, it's David." It was his roommate and best friend from before high school. "Charlie, I got it. The Biology final. Right here in my hand."
Charlie sat up. "What? Are you sure?"
"Yeah. The whole thing. Including the answers." "No way."
"It's the real exam, the one Fletcher will give to your class tomorrow."
"How'd you get it?"
"Don't ask. Wanna see it?" "Are you kidding?"
David mimicked the professor's squeaky voice. "I don't think that's quite right, Mr. Tate."
Charlie laughed. "It won't really be cheating, because I'll never need or use Biology. I just need this grade to get into business school."
"All right. I'm on the way."
Charlie put down the phone, jumped up and shouted. Yes!
* * *
Ten years later Charlie sat in his office at the corporate headquarters of Certified Solutions, a newly promoted senior project manager. Two proposals for packaging the company's latest software lay on the desk in front of him, and their company's lead designer, Preston, fifteen years Charlie's senior, sat across from him.
"The quality of the packaging is the same," said the designer, "but the Baker proposal is fifteen percent more expensive. We're going to need tens of thousands of these, so the total difference is huge."
Charlie looked carefully at the two proposals. "Preston, have we ever used Baker?"
"No. They're usually too expensive for what they provide. We can get the same or better quality from others at less cost. I think Baker may be getting a little soft. They've been in the business a long time, but I don't think Ralph Baker has invested in his company the way his dad did. Maybe a little too much golf." The designer ended with a smile.
"OK. I'll take a look at the proposals and let you know after lunch. Thanks for putting this together."
"No problem," said the other man as he rose to leave. Three hours later, Charlie returned from a lunch meeting, took off his coat, and glanced at the framed photos of Karen and their two children, Meghan, 6 and Ryan, 3. He picked up the phone and punched the numbers he found in one of Preston's reports.
"Ralph Baker, please." A few moments later, the company's president was on the line.
"Mr. Baker, hey, this is Charlie Tate at Certified Systems.
How are you?"
"Fine, Charlie. And, please, call me Ralph."
He swiveled in his chair and looked again at Baker's bio on their website. "Thanks. Listen, our designers have been looking at your proposal for our packaging requirement. Are you familiar with it?"
"Yes, of course. We'd certainly like to win that business. I personally approved the proposal. We cut the cost as much as we possibly could, while giving you the quality you need."
"Well, that's why I'm calling, Ralph. Are you sure you're as low as you can go? Excel is cheaper for the same quality."
"Charlie, they may say that now, but we hear they like to make substitutions when it's time for production."
Charlie shook his head. "We'd never allow it. Our two companies have never done much business, Ralph, which is a shame, being headquartered in the same city. Are you sure this is the best price you can give us?"
There was a pause. "If it will win the business, I'll take another five percent off. But that leaves us with almost no profit at all."
"Excel is fifteen percent less." He paused. Ralph did not respond.
"Ralph, aren't you on the Board of Trustees at Hightower School?"
"Uh, yes. A great school. Our family has supported it for years."
"It is a great school. My wife Karen and I are very impressed with it. And in fact, we hope that our daughter, Meghan, can start there next year in Kindergarten. She took their battery of tests but maybe didn't have her best day. She didn't feel well. Anyway, Karen and I certainly hope that she gets in."
There was another pause. "I see. Well, I'm sure that the school always wants a broad group of students. I imagine that they would be able to find a place for...Meghan, right?"
"Yes, Meghan. You really think so?" "Oh, I'd be pretty certain."
Charlie smiled and swiveled again to look out the window. "Okay. That would make my two women very happy. And we'll keep considering this proposal from you on the packaging. I appreciate the five percent reduction. We'll spend a few days studying the quality issues and then get back to you."
"We'd really like to supply you on this one."
"I understand. Our lead designer will contact you in a couple of days."
"Fine. Thanks. Good-bye."
Charlie kept the receiver in his hand and dialed three digits.
"Preston, it's Charlie. I talked to Ralph Baker. He's going to take five percent off their bid, so I want to go with them-I know, but I like the quality of what they do, and he's local. We can absorb the extra cost somewhere else. Give Ralph a call this afternoon, if you can. And thanks again for all your help."
* * *
Ten years later Charlie was finishing a five-day business trip to London. With him in one of the finest restaurants in Kensington were his company's Director of Marketing, Stan Long, and two guests from the British company they were acquiring, Malcolm Griffiths, the Chairman, and Stephanie Bascombe, the Marketing Manager.
"Are you still pleased with your acquisition?" Griffiths, slightly overweight and balding, asked across the table, as the waiter departed with their orders.
Charlie raised his glass of whiskey as if to toast, and glanced to his left to look again into Stephanie's sparkling blue eyes. "By all means, Malcolm. Palisades is a great match for our new TransTech subsidiary. And we have been most impressed to learn how you've been marketing so successfully to European communications firms, haven't we Stan?" Charlie looked to his right.
"Yes, we certainly have," came the reply, as the three men acknowledged Stephanie.
A good eight years younger than her new boss, Stephanie Bascombe had been with them during the entire trip, and tonight Charlie thought she looked stunning in a bur
gundy dress with a high collar that nicely accented her curves. From their first meeting two months before in New York, Charlie had sensed an electricity between them, and the past five days had been like sublime torture, with the pressure mounting every time their eyes met and she smiled. Unmarried, Stephanie had suggested in many ways, Charlie thought, that he could expect more from his new European Marketing Director than just e-mails and memos.
"I hate to leave the business," Griffiths continued, "but we got a good price, and I know that I'm leaving our team in very capable hands."
Smiling, Charlie nodded his agreement as their second round of drinks arrived.
An hour later, after ordering their desserts, Charlie said, "Please excuse me for a minute. I need to find the facilities. Stan, could you join me, please?"
"Sure," Stan smiled, "sounds like a good idea, actually."
In the alcove leading to the restrooms, Charlie stopped and motioned Stan into a corner by the door.
"Listen, when dinner's over, I'm going to invite everyone to the bar, but I'd like you to say that we've got an early flight and you've got some work to catch up on. Okay?"
Stan smiled. "And you're hoping that Griffiths will need to get home to his wife, I assume."
Charlie nodded, a slight grin on his face. "Something like that. But even if he comes for one drink, I think I'll do just fine."
"I suspect so, too," Stan agreed, and gave his boss a knowing look.
"This isn't a regular thing. Karen and I are great. But we're thousands of miles from home, it's been a long and successful trip, and I think a little extra celebration for the CEO of a new multinational corporation might be in order."
Ten Lies and Ten Truths (Second Edition) Page 5
