"We live in a culture that believes worth is inherant, yet still measure worth based on some kind of percieved success."

(The following conversation is real. The names have been changed, and the dialogue has been edited for clarity. Jared does not hear Jon, but Ava and Jon can hear all) Truth

Jared: That quote is funny and ironic
Ava: yes. fortunately, i'm not swept away by molding culture
don't get me wrong--the church is perfect. the people...... create moldy culturized versions of perceived perfection
Jared: my curiosity is enticed by silly messed up culture
Ava: explain
Jared: I love culture... in general I just think it's the most interesting thing. even the messed up stuff
Ava: i don't disagree with you
Jared: cause "messed up" is just a perception of opionion.
Ava: ahh, but how do you bring culture and truth together, if you believe truth is eternal--or does culture develop outside of truth?
Jared: truth is eternal. but there is not such a thing as perfect culture. it's like saying that there is a best meal for everyone.
Ava: yeah, so any culture is a deviation from truth
yes no?
Jared: I don't know if I understand. I don't see culture as ever equalling truth. culture is shared opionions.
Ava: i guess it would come down to a definition of truth
here, again--don't get me wrong, i LOVE cultural differences
Jared: truth is things at they actually are
Ava: so... does it change over time?
Jared: truth can't change unless the facts change. such as your age. right?
Ava: so, truth and fact are not synonymous?
Jared: they are the same to me
Ava: that or age is not fact--just birth-date...
if facts can cahnge and truth does not.... they are clearly not the same....
Jared: truth can change, but only in the way that facts change. The turth is today is tuesday, but tomorrow it wont be
Ava: ah, but is that truth, or just a cultural label? in china its the second day of the week, not tuesday.
Jared: I get what you are going at, but truth can be created.
Ava: then it isn't eternal
Jared: I guess some things that are true aren't and some things arent. like how the meanings of words change. what do you think?
do you think there needs to be another word for it? maybe it's too ambigiuos because there are unchangable truths like laws of physics
Ava: laws of physics, though--describe observations so consistant and universal, they're called truth because they don't change
Jon: Interesting conversation.
Still, physics changes as our understanding changes.
I agree with you that culture is simply our understanding of basic truths that never change. Our understanding of the principle might change, but the underlying truth is eternal.
The days of the week thing....

Jared: well truth is only a word with the perception which you associate it. Words are only there to describe.
Ava: as culture and society change so do the meanings we assign to the systems within them. such as words.
Jared: so truth for you are the things that dont change, and truth to me is things as they really are.
Ava: Truth to me is things as they are, were, and ever will be.