Cultural Relativism: Insightful or Misleading?

This article lays out the truth and the misleading concepts in the theory of cultural relativism. This theory focuses on the belief that there is not a universal truth in ethics and that the society decides what is morally right and what is morally wrong. One thing I strongly agree with in this theory is that we should tolerate the practices of other cultures and not judge the conduct of other people. In Things Fall Apart, this is shown throughout the novel. The Umuofia clan, caught in their cultural ways, attempted to resist the influence of the Christians, defining them as evil for believing in something different. On the other side, the Christians were not willing to work with the Umuofia clan and coexist. To the  This also applies in today's society. We as humans judge one another and label people of other cultures. Those who follow their own traditions are often outcasts in different societies, which leads to racism of varying degrees.
While the theory holds truth, it is also misleading. The theory implies that we should not say that certain customs in other societies are morally wrong. One example given in the article is a society waging war on its neighbors to gain slaves. This is morally wrong and harming others, but since it is in their culture, other societies should not step in to stop the harm.In Things Fall Apart, the Christians are destroying villages and forcing people to convert to their "superior" religion and culture. Since this is part of their culture's religion and they view it as right, it must not be wrong. Ignoring the theory, it is obvious what they are doing is wrong and harmful to others. Today, in society, there are still murders done by cults and in different societies, making it acceptable in their eyes. Since it is okay in their culture, should the law dismiss it? In some perspectives, that is what the theory implies.
All in all, there are multiple ways to interpret this theory. Some interpretations are positive while others are negative. In the end, the theory just teaches us that there is no rational standard and that we should keep an open mind. If the many villages had an open-mind to Christianity, they could have avoided a lot of the suffering they experienced. If the Christians had an open-mind, they could have worked with the various villages and still expanded their religion. Understanding this theory can lead to a more peaceful existence.