The Bumper-Sticker “Wisdom” of COEXIST

A big reason people gravitate toward moral relativism is that it appears to promote peace and brotherly love. It is the worldview behind the ubiquitous “COEXIST” bumper stickers whose real message is not that all religions should just get along, but that they are all equally true–an impossibility. Relativism allows an individual to avoid moral judgments.  One can appear thoughtful, nonjudgmental, and neutral by saying that right and wrong are things people should decide for themselves (although this is not neutral either–”should” prescribes behavior for others). Conversely, if one holds unbending, absolute truths (Jesus is the only way; marriage is between a man and a woman; a “choice” is really a baby; etc.), he is considered a divisive enemy of peace. But this means that Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is also an enemy of peace because He claimed to embody the truth.

Jesus brought peace between God and man (1Tim. 2:5) and taught peace between man and man, but not at the expense of truth. He equated Himself with truth and claimed to be the way to God (John 14:6). He even declared that His identity would bring division between members of the same family (Matt. 10:32-37; Luke 12:51-53). This is a hard teaching, but truth often involves making a hard decision and choosing a side–something relativists try to avoid.