Monday, February 21, 2011

Veritas

Truth: It exists objectively.

Most people -- for some reason -- don't get this.

First let's put into perspective what we're talking about here.

RELATIVISM is a philosophical view that says that NOTHING is absolutely true and EVERYTHING is merely a varied form of some perception that actually corresponds to nothing at all. This implies that everything we think or say or feel or interact with is actually just an empty experience that leads ultimately to a void. The computer you're on right now doesn't actually exist -- you just think it does!

NOW, this, what is written above, is the broadest sense of the philosophy of relativism and is not generally accepted in society...but relativism makes its mark in another way in the world today in the moral realm.

MORAL RELATIVISM is a philosophical view that holds that whether or not a moral claim is true is relative to a particular culture or individual. You experience this (most likely) every day. Every time people say, "Well Coady, _____ is fine for you, and I'm happy if that makes you happy, but I don't believe in ______. So for me _______ is true, and you have to be ok with that because it's what I believe." Moral Relativism has made itself prevalent in big issues like abortion, homosexual unions, etc. It's popular. Pope Benedict XVI said, "We are building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one's own ego and desires."

What most people don't realize is that they only adopt this attitude to cater to themselves and avoid hard truths. I do it! I know! But that doesn't make it right. Here are some implications consistent with moral relativism.
-- If moral relativism is true than it was morally permissible to exterminate Jews in Germany in the early 1940s.
-- If moral relativism is true than it was morally permissible to hold slaves in Georgia in the 1700s.
-- If moral relativism is true than it was morally permissible for the Unabomber to set off bombs in computer stores to further his anti-technological social agenda.

You see in each of these situations the people who were committing these acts were doing it because of reasons that they held to be true. Whether it was an individual or a culture, we can now look back on those things and say that they are morally WRONG.

To make a claim like this means that there has to be a right and a wrong. It means that there must be not "subjective" but "objective" truth! There has to be some authority of truth. Something absolute.

I guess the reason that I'm writing this is because I'm tired of seeing people being fooled. Happiness doesn't come from catering to ourselves, it comes when we have an understanding of truth that helps us to grow in union with the same TRUTH! I feel like everyday I hear something along the lines of "...well in so and so situation a person HAS to get an abortion so for her it was alright." or "...well I personally believe gay marriage is wrong, but if its what they believe then they should be allowed to do it."

So I guess in closing -- think about the reality of your own life. It's so real and so grounded in a truth that has existed long before humanity. I pray that Truth might become better known in society, and we all might prudently discern the how to make our lives worth living in the absolute reality we live in!

Pax.
Coady

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