The Falsity of Cultural Relativity

        Cultural relativism wrongly claims that each culture has its own distinct but equally valid mode of perception, thought, and choice. Cultural relativism, the opposite of the idea that moral truth is universal and objective, says that there is no such thing as absolute right and wrong. There is only right and wrong as specified by the moral code of each society. Cultural relativism maintains that man’s opinion, within a given culture, defines what is right and wrong. 
What do I think? I believe truth is absolute, immutable, and unchangeable no matter the cultural differences.  Where this gets tricky, I think, is in determining what is truth and what is simply cultural practice. The book titled Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, contains great examples from the Ibo culture (a group of people from Southeastern Nigeria) that challenges the idea of cultural relativism. One example of cultural relativity is when the "Oracle" in this book tells Okonkwo, the main character, to kill a boy deemed as useless, named Ikemefuna. Okonkwo, right after the boy calls him FATHER (ouch), delivers the final blow with a machete to end the boy's life. Okonkwo listened the his elders and followed the objective morals set by his culture. Was Okonkwo right in the murder of this innocent boy simply because his culture established it as "acceptable"? Absolutely not. It is a moral truth that life is sacred and should never be taken without just cause. Achebe proves that cultural relativity is a false idea, and that there are certain moral truths that traditions can not overcome, by showing readers how Okonkwo feels after he completed this deed. Okonkwo is distraught, does not eat for two entire days, and goes to his friend Obierika for consoling. If there are no moral truths, then why does Okonkwo feel like this after doing what his culture deemed as acceptable? Practice does not trump truth, as far as I'm concerned.
How people choose to dress, certain traditions, or their personal hygiene habits or body markings (tattoos or piercings) are generally cultural choices disconnected from any moral truths. They're simply choices. An example of this in Things Fall Apart is the tradition of the kola nut (side note: I thought this said "Koala nut" until yesterday and was mildly confused). The kola nut seems to be a key aspect of being a welcoming host. The kola nut tradition is another way of communicating respect. Does this tradition of giving a kola nut to a guest break any moral truths? Definitely not. If a tradition or manner of being does not violate any moral truths, then let it be. It can neither be considered absolutely wrong nor absolutely right. It's an aspect of life that defines the culture. If every culture had the exact same traditions, dress, language, ...ect, there would be no point in having different cultures.
While I disagree with the idea of cultural relativity, I think we can all learn something from the character in Things Fall Apart named Obierika. Obierika disagreed with Okonkwo's choice of killing Ikemefuna but what did he do after his friend Okonkwo violated the moral truth of there being value in a life? He brought the truth to his friend's attention. He did not banish Okonkwo from his house nor demolish the friendship that they share. Their differences in perspective did not indicate the relationship they had with each other. The one character understands the idea of moral truths while the other character disregards any type of absolute truth but that does not mean they cannot be friends. That's the really important part to notice. Whether you agree or disagree with cultural relativity, just remember that cultural practices do not determine whether an individual person is good or evil.