<description>&lt;h3 data-start="368" data-end="396"&gt;🎧 Episode Description&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;p data-start="397" data-end="822"&gt;In this episode, we dive into the latest research from Barna on how Americans view truth and morality. The findings reveal a culture increasingly skeptical of moral absolutes and more reliant on personal feelings and pluralistic sources of truth. As dads who want to pass on a legacy of clarity, conviction, and faith, we'll explore what this means for our families, our faith, and how we model truth for the next generation.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;hr data-start="824" data-end="827" /&gt; &lt;h3 data-start="829" data-end="859"&gt;🧭 Key Segments &amp; Topics&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;p data-start="861" data-end="912"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="861" data-end="910"&gt;1. Setting the Scene – What the Research Says&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul data-start="913" data-end="1488"&gt; &lt;li data-start="913" data-end="1063"&gt; &lt;p data-start="915" data-end="1063"&gt;The survey shows &lt;strong data-start="932" data-end="941"&gt;≈ 74%&lt;/strong&gt; of adults say they trust their &lt;em data-start="973" data-end= "983"&gt;feelings&lt;/em&gt; over facts when discerning moral truth. &lt;span class= "ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]" data-testid="webpage-citation-pill"&gt;&lt;a class= "flex h-4.5 overflow-hidden rounded-xl px-2 text-[9px] font-medium transition-colors duration-150 ease-in-out text-token-text-secondary! bg-[#F4F4F4]! dark:bg-[#303030]!" href= "https://georgebarna.com/2025/05/unbiblical-moral-truth/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;&lt;span class= "relative start-0 bottom-0 flex h-full w-full items-center"&gt;&lt;span class="flex h-4 w-full items-center justify-between"&gt; &lt;span class= "max-w-[15ch] grow truncate overflow-hidden text-center"&gt;George Barna&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class= "-me-1 flex h-full items-center rounded-full px-1 text-[#8F8F8F]"&gt;+2&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="flex h-4 w-full items-center justify-between absolute"&gt;&lt;span class="max-w-[15ch] grow truncate overflow-hidden text-center"&gt;George Barna&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class= "-me-1 flex h-full items-center rounded-full px-1 text-[#8F8F8F]"&gt;+2&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="1064" data-end="1204"&gt; &lt;p data-start="1066" data-end="1204"&gt;Only a minority believe in moral absolutes; many believe moral truth is relative to circumstances. &lt;span class= "ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]" data-testid="webpage-citation-pill"&gt;&lt;a class= "flex h-4.5 overflow-hidden rounded-xl px-2 text-[9px] font-medium transition-colors duration-150 ease-in-out text-token-text-secondary! bg-[#F4F4F4]! dark:bg-[#303030]!" href= "https://www.barna.com/research/americans-are-most-likely-to-base-truth-on-feelings/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;&lt;span class= "relative start-0 bottom-0 flex h-full w-full items-center"&gt;&lt;span class="flex h-4 w-full items-center justify-between absolute"&gt; &lt;span class= "max-w-[15ch] grow truncate overflow-hidden text-center"&gt;George Barna&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class= "-me-1 flex h-full items-center rounded-full px-1 text-[#8F8F8F]"&gt;+3&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="flex h-4 w-full items-center justify-between"&gt;&lt;span class="max-w-[15ch] grow truncate overflow-hidden text-center"&gt;Barna Group&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class= "-me-1 flex h-full items-center rounded-full px-1 text-[#8F8F8F]"&gt;+3&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="flex h-4 w-full items-center justify-between absolute"&gt;&lt;span class="max-w-[15ch] grow truncate overflow-hidden text-center"&gt;George Barna&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class= "-me-1 flex h-full items-center rounded-full px-1 text-[#8F8F8F]"&gt;+3&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="1205" data-end="1344"&gt; &lt;p data-start="1207" data-end="1344"&gt;A large portion of Americans accept the idea that "different moral truth-views can all be right." &lt;span class= "ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]" data-testid="webpage-citation-pill"&gt;&lt;a class= "flex h-4.5 overflow-hidden rounded-xl px-2 text-[9px] font-medium transition-colors duration-150 ease-in-out text-token-text-secondary! bg-[#F4F4F4]! dark:bg-[#303030]!" href= "https://georgebarna.com/2025/05/unbiblical-moral-truth/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;&lt;span class= "flex h-4 w-full items-center justify-between"&gt;&lt;span class= "max-w-[15ch] grow truncate overflow-hidden text-center"&gt;George Barna&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class= "-me-1 flex h-full items-center rounded-full px-1 text-[#8F8F8F]"&gt;+1&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="1345" data-end="1488"&gt; &lt;p data-start="1347" data-end="1488"&gt;Even among Christian-identified groups, significant percentages reject or doubt absolute moral truth. &lt;span class= "ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]" data-testid="webpage-citation-pill"&gt;&lt;a class= "flex h-4.5 overflow-hidden rounded-xl px-2 text-[9px] font-medium transition-colors duration-150 ease-in-out text-token-text-secondary! bg-[#F4F4F4]! dark:bg-[#303030]!" href= "https://georgebarna.com/2025/05/unbiblical-moral-truth/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;&lt;span class= "relative start-0 bottom-0 flex h-full w-full items-center"&gt;&lt;span class="flex h-4 w-full items-center justify-between"&gt; &lt;span class= "max-w-[15ch] grow truncate overflow-hidden text-center"&gt;George Barna&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class= "-me-1 flex h-full items-center rounded-full px-1 text-[#8F8F8F]"&gt;+2&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="flex h-4 w-full items-center justify-between absolute"&gt;&lt;span class="max-w-[15ch] grow truncate overflow-hidden text-center"&gt;George Barna&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class= "-me-1 flex h-full items-center rounded-full px-1 text-[#8F8F8F]"&gt;+2&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p data-start="1490" data-end="1535"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="1490" data-end="1533"&gt;2. Why This Matters for Dads &amp; Families&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul data-start="1536" data-end="2207"&gt; &lt;li data-start="1536" data-end="1684"&gt; &lt;p data-start="1538" data-end="1684"&gt;When truth becomes something you &lt;em data-start="1571" data-end="1577"&gt;feel&lt;/em&gt; rather than something you &lt;em data-start="1604" data-end="1627"&gt;know or are rooted in&lt;/em&gt;, it affects how we model decision-making for our kids.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="1685" data-end="1855"&gt; &lt;p data-start="1687" data-end="1855"&gt;Legacy is about more than providing; it's about imparting a worldview. If that worldview is unstable or shifting with culture, the next generation inherits confusion.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="1856" data-end="2039"&gt; &lt;p data-start="1858" data-end="2039"&gt;The article warns: societies without shared, stable moral references risk becoming fragmented, morally ambiguous or anchored only in emotion. &lt;span class= "ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]" data-testid="webpage-citation-pill"&gt;&lt;a class= "flex h-4.5 overflow-hidden rounded-xl px-2 text-[9px] font-medium transition-colors duration-150 ease-in-out text-token-text-secondary! bg-[#F4F4F4]! dark:bg-[#303030]!" href= "https://georgebarna.com/2020/05/survey-finds-americans-see-many-sources-of-truth/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;&lt;span class= "flex h-4 w-full items-center justify-between"&gt;&lt;span class= "max-w-[15ch] grow truncate overflow-hidden text-center"&gt;George Barna&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class= "-me-1 flex h-full items-center rounded-full px-1 text-[#8F8F8F]"&gt;+1&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="2040" data-end="2207"&gt; &lt;p data-start="2042" data-end="2207"&gt;As fathers, we're gatekeepers for our homes: of truth, character, and generational faith. So what do we do when our culture says "each person decides their truth"?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p data-start="2209" data-end="2258"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="2209" data-end="2256"&gt;3. Practical Applications – What You Can Do&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul data-start="2259" data-end="3018"&gt; &lt;li data-start="2259" data-end="2384"&gt; &lt;p data-start="2261" data-end="2384"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="2261" data-end="2290"&gt;Anchor in a stable source&lt;/strong&gt;: Encourage family conversations about &lt;em data-start="2329" data-end= "2334"&gt;why&lt;/em&gt; you believe what you believe — not just &lt;em data-start="2375" data-end="2381"&gt;what&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="2385" data-end="2548"&gt; &lt;p data-start="2387" data-end="2548"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="2387" data-end="2412"&gt;Model decision-making&lt;/strong&gt;: Show your children how you arrive at right vs wrong. Is it "how I feel" or "what is true / what does Scripture say / what is right"?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="2549" data-end="2711"&gt; &lt;p data-start="2551" data-end="2711"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="2551" data-end="2594"&gt;Discuss pluralism &amp; relativism honestly&lt;/strong&gt;: If our kids are hearing that all truth-views are valid, we need to equip them to think critically and biblically.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="2712" data-end="2855"&gt; &lt;p data-start="2714" data-end="2855"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="2714" data-end="2753"&gt;Create opportunities for reflection&lt;/strong&gt;: Ask your children (depending on age) "What basis did you use to decide that was okay or not okay?"&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="2856" data-end="3018"&gt; &lt;p data-start="2858" data-end="3018"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="2858" data-end="2881"&gt;Teach the big story&lt;/strong&gt;: Legacy is long-term. Morality isn't just a list of do's and don'ts, but a story of a God who is truth, and lives that flow from that.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p data-start="3020" data-end="3066"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="3020" data-end="3064"&gt;4. Conversation Starters for Your Family&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul data-start="3067" data-end="3450"&gt; &lt;li data-start="3067" data-end="3117"&gt; &lt;p data-start="3069" data-end="3117"&gt;"What do you believe defines right and wrong?"&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="3118" data-end="3225"&gt; &lt;p data-start="3120" data-end="3225"&gt;"Have you ever changed your mind about something because of how you &lt;em data-start="3188" data-end="3194"&gt;felt&lt;/em&gt;? What did you base that on?"&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="3226" data-end="3300"&gt; &lt;p data-start="3228" data-end="3300"&gt;"Why do you think some people believe truth depends on the situation?"&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="3301" data-end="3383"&gt; &lt;p data-start="3303" data-end="3383"&gt;"If someone says 'that's true for you but not for me,' how would you respond?"&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="3384" data-end="3450"&gt; &lt;p data-start="3386" data-end="3450"&gt;"What difference does it make if truth is absolute vs relative?"&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p data-start="3452" data-end="3876"&gt;&lt;strong data-start="3452" data-end="3479"&gt;5. Legacy Dad Challenge&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br data-start= "3479" data-end="3482" /&gt; This week: Pick one moral/ethical decision you face (big or small). Walk your child(ren) through &lt;em data-start="3579" data-end= "3584"&gt;how&lt;/em&gt; you came to your decision: What basis did you use? Was it simply how you felt? Or did you consult Scripture, your conscience, parental wisdom, cultural norms? After making the decision, revisit it: "Was that the wisest basis? Would I make the same decision next time with what I now know?"&lt;/p&gt; &lt;hr data-start="3878" data-end="3881" /&gt; &lt;h3 data-start="3883" data-end="3931"&gt;🔍 Recommended Further Reading &amp; Resources&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul data-start="3932" data-end="4340"&gt; &lt;li data-start="3932" data-end="4090"&gt; &lt;p data-start="3934" data-end="4090"&gt;The original article on Barna's site: "Survey Finds Americans See Many Sources of Truth—and Reject Moral Absolutes." &lt;span class= "ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]" data-testid="webpage-citation-pill"&gt;&lt;a class= "flex h-4.5 overflow-hidden rounded-xl px-2 text-[9px] font-medium transition-colors duration-150 ease-in-out text-token-text-secondary! bg-[#F4F4F4]! dark:bg-[#303030]!" href= "https://georgebarna.com/2020/05/survey-finds-americans-see-many-sources-of-truth/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;&lt;span class= "max-w-[15ch] grow truncate overflow-hidden text-center"&gt;George Barna&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="4091" data-end="4232"&gt; &lt;p data-start="4093" data-end="4232"&gt;Barna's deeper breakdown: "Americans Possess Contradictory and Unbiblical Views about Moral Truth." &lt;span class= "ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]" data-testid="webpage-citation-pill"&gt;&lt;a class= "flex h-4.5 overflow-hidden rounded-xl px-2 text-[9px] font-medium transition-colors duration-150 ease-in-out text-token-text-secondary! bg-[#F4F4F4]! dark:bg-[#303030]!" href= "https://georgebarna.com/2025/05/unbiblical-moral-truth/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;&lt;span class= "max-w-[15ch] grow truncate overflow-hidden text-center"&gt;George Barna&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="4233" data-end="4340"&gt; &lt;p data-start="4235" data-end="4340"&gt;"The End of Absolutes: America's New Moral Code" (Barna archive). &lt;span class= "ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]" data-testid="webpage-citation-pill"&gt;&lt;a class= "flex h-4.5 overflow-hidden rounded-xl px-2 text-[9px] font-medium transition-colors duration-150 ease-in-out text-token-text-secondary! bg-[#F4F4F4]! dark:bg-[#303030]!" href= "https://www.barna.com/research/the-end-of-absolutes-americas-new-moral-code/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;&lt;span class= "max-w-[15ch] grow truncate overflow-hidden text-center"&gt;Barna Group&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;hr data-start="4342" data-end="4345" /&gt; &lt;h3 data-start="4347" data-end="4386"&gt;🎯 Take-Away Points for Listeners&lt;/h3&gt; &lt;ul data-start="4387" data-end="5017"&gt; &lt;li data-start="4387" data-end="4493"&gt; &lt;p data-start="4389" data-end="4493"&gt;The cultural current is moving toward "truth according to me/feelings," rather than fixed moral truth.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="4494" data-end="4632"&gt; &lt;p data-start="4496" data-end="4632"&gt;As fathers wanting to build a legacy, we must &lt;em data-start="4542" data-end="4550"&gt;choose&lt;/em&gt; to anchor our families in something more stable — not just personal preference.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="4633" data-end="4767"&gt; &lt;p data-start="4635" data-end="4767"&gt;Modeling how to live with conviction, how to think about truth, how to navigate moral decisions — that becomes part of our legacy.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="4768" data-end="4855"&gt; &lt;p data-start="4770" data-end="4855"&gt;It's not enough to tell our kids what's right; we show them how we determine right.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li data-start="4856" data-end="5017"&gt; &lt;p data-start="4858" data-end="5017"&gt;When the culture says "all truths are valid," the Christian father says: "Let's explore why I believe one truth is true, and how that matters for how we live."&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;For more about Legacy Dads, click here: &lt;a href= "https://www.legacydads.org/"&gt;Legacy Dads Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Legacy Dads Facebook Group: &lt;a href= "https://www.facebook.com/groups/1855766087773593/"&gt;Legacy Dads Facebook&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Legacy Dads Instagram: &lt;a href= "https://www.instagram.com/legacy_dads/"&gt;Legacy Dads I&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Legacy Dads with Dave and Dante

Legacy Dads

When Truth Becomes a Feeling: Moral Relativism and Legacy Dads

NOV 10, 202524 MIN
Legacy Dads with Dave and Dante

When Truth Becomes a Feeling: Moral Relativism and Legacy Dads

NOV 10, 202524 MIN

Description

🎧 Episode Description

In this episode, we dive into the latest research from Barna on how Americans view truth and morality. The findings reveal a culture increasingly skeptical of moral absolutes and more reliant on personal feelings and pluralistic sources of truth. As dads who want to pass on a legacy of clarity, conviction, and faith, we'll explore what this means for our families, our faith, and how we model truth for the next generation.

🧭 Key Segments & Topics

1. Setting the Scene – What the Research Says

2. Why This Matters for Dads & Families

  • When truth becomes something you feel rather than something you know or are rooted in, it affects how we model decision-making for our kids.

  • Legacy is about more than providing; it's about imparting a worldview. If that worldview is unstable or shifting with culture, the next generation inherits confusion.

  • The article warns: societies without shared, stable moral references risk becoming fragmented, morally ambiguous or anchored only in emotion. George Barna+1

  • As fathers, we're gatekeepers for our homes: of truth, character, and generational faith. So what do we do when our culture says "each person decides their truth"?

3. Practical Applications – What You Can Do

  • Anchor in a stable source: Encourage family conversations about why you believe what you believe — not just what.

  • Model decision-making: Show your children how you arrive at right vs wrong. Is it "how I feel" or "what is true / what does Scripture say / what is right"?

  • Discuss pluralism & relativism honestly: If our kids are hearing that all truth-views are valid, we need to equip them to think critically and biblically.

  • Create opportunities for reflection: Ask your children (depending on age) "What basis did you use to decide that was okay or not okay?"

  • Teach the big story: Legacy is long-term. Morality isn't just a list of do's and don'ts, but a story of a God who is truth, and lives that flow from that.

4. Conversation Starters for Your Family

  • "What do you believe defines right and wrong?"

  • "Have you ever changed your mind about something because of how you felt? What did you base that on?"

  • "Why do you think some people believe truth depends on the situation?"

  • "If someone says 'that's true for you but not for me,' how would you respond?"

  • "What difference does it make if truth is absolute vs relative?"

5. Legacy Dad Challenge This week: Pick one moral/ethical decision you face (big or small). Walk your child(ren) through how you came to your decision: What basis did you use? Was it simply how you felt? Or did you consult Scripture, your conscience, parental wisdom, cultural norms? After making the decision, revisit it: "Was that the wisest basis? Would I make the same decision next time with what I now know?"

🔍 Recommended Further Reading & Resources

  • The original article on Barna's site: "Survey Finds Americans See Many Sources of Truth—and Reject Moral Absolutes." George Barna

  • Barna's deeper breakdown: "Americans Possess Contradictory and Unbiblical Views about Moral Truth." George Barna

  • "The End of Absolutes: America's New Moral Code" (Barna archive). Barna Group

🎯 Take-Away Points for Listeners

  • The cultural current is moving toward "truth according to me/feelings," rather than fixed moral truth.

  • As fathers wanting to build a legacy, we must choose to anchor our families in something more stable — not just personal preference.

  • Modeling how to live with conviction, how to think about truth, how to navigate moral decisions — that becomes part of our legacy.

  • It's not enough to tell our kids what's right; we show them how we determine right.

  • When the culture says "all truths are valid," the Christian father says: "Let's explore why I believe one truth is true, and how that matters for how we live."

For more about Legacy Dads, click here: Legacy Dads Website Legacy Dads Facebook Group: Legacy Dads Facebook Legacy Dads Instagram: Legacy Dads I