Veritas vos liberabit: Relativism & the Eighth Commandment
Relativism, its Corollaries, and their Fundamental Problems
Indifference is a common sentiment regarding others. Relativism is often how this is justified. However, this idealism is hardly an innocent one. Corollaries include self-determination (the idea that one is one’s creator), narcissism (oneself is infallibly at the center of existence and the only protagonist), and moral subjectivism (the idea that morality is a social construct determined, if not by self, by society/majority rule). One may ask, what is egregious about these life-governing principles? What can be problematic about this alternative view of ethics? Relativism and its corollaries are used to justify mortal sins and thus are spiritually dangerous.
The most resolute application of relativism warrants moral subjectivism and self-determination. As a philosophy, relativism contradicts itself. It posits the absolute truth is that there is no absolute truth. It requires little review to note that it is a circular assertion; presupposing that absolute truth is actually not absolute truth. As a result, there is no longer any science, mathematics, or even religion that may support man’s intellect. All efforts would be left without accomplishment, insofar as means can no longer achieve ends. Therefore, x can never be zero because the equal sign is no longer possible.
When relativism is used in making decisions, it defines freedom in the same manner as the Cambridge Dictionary. The Cambridge Dictionary defines freedom as “the condition or right of being able or allowed to do, say, think, etc. whatever you want to, without being controlled or limited”. The problem with this definition is that it omits any consideration of the well-being (physical, mental or spiritual) of self or others, the meaning of life, and does not connect how ends with causes. Relativism seems desirable to the degree that it allows “freedom” to pursue ends with no thought to the means, e.g. human flight via jumping off a cliff. In such a case, the true achievement of flight is questionable, still more ruinous is the lack of foresight. Even when not physically dangerous, relativism limits one’s life to that which only the self can imagine and actualize. On the contrary, freedom according to absolute principles maximizes the ends for which freedom is destined. By following God’s plan, the Christian moves beyond self-determination and can be incorporated into something far beyond self, to accomplish something beyond self, and to find meaning and identity in a place that someone else cannot undermine (i.e. being a son/daughter of God).
Subjective morality often results in detriment to self and others. The actualization of this results in the sexual act being used to achieve happiness and religion losing its meaning. Expending health in one aspect does not produce it in others. Using sexuality as a means to happiness is using the physical to enhance mental and/or spiritual so-called “happiness”. When one realizes that, at best, they are using themselves and others as a means to pleasure, there is no true reference to love nor respect for self or others, and emptiness often escalates as a result. Further, religion is redefined as a means to limit “freedom”. On the contrary, religion, in the Christian sense of the term, is applying justice to our relationship with God or rending God His due. If one understands this aspect, they also can understand that this results in the best possible outcome of one’s life. The believer is truly directed to the place where freedom is maximized, meaning is accomplished, and morality is not just doing right but truly loving the other/being loved by others. Giving God His due is our truest purpose. God does not need us, and despite this, He created and sustains us. Therefore, He loves us. He first loved us, thus returning that which has been given is the height of rending Him His due. By accomplishing this, a person achieves their greatest meaning, that which was first done to us, love. Subjective morality denies religion this credit. In terms of salvation, if one truly believes that God is a limit to our freedom and that there is no reason to rend Him His due, then one condemns themselves to Hell. If an individual acts contrary to God with knowledge and intent, they commit mortal sin(s). If they refuse to repent of mortal sin, they choose eternal life without God, Hell.
In conclusion, can anyone ever truly believe in relativism? Relativism contradicts itself. Relativism and its corollaries undermine the very use of means towards ends. It attempts to replace religion’s meaning, defining it as something that limits for the sake of limiting. By rejecting relativism, we are freed to discover our true meaning beyond our imagination, freed to act without harming others or self, free to do what is right, free to learn all that is intelligible, and allowed to enter heaven. Not only free to engage in the evils of our favorite flavor, and to desire them more and more.
The Eighth Commandment is a call to truth. Why is truth important? Who determines the truth?
God continually calls man to Himself (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1 & 27). He, thereby, calls man to the truth, because He is Truth Itself (John 14:6). God is the Creator of all things and thus having created reality, He creates truth (John 1:3). Sin is self-deception, to which man can become a slave (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1739). Therefore, the acceptance of truth “will set you free” (John 8:32). Insofar as deception of self is sin, one cannot repent of sin without accepting the truth. If one does not repent of sin then they cannot be saved(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 981). Therefore, one cannot be saved without accepting the truth. “Before Pilate, Christ proclaims that He ‘has come into the world, to bear witness to the truth.’”(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2471.) Christ is the whole of God’s revelation and thus truth. If Christ is Truth Himself (and indeed He is), then it is no surprise that truth now is unpopular. When Truth Himself came to be incarnate and could be personally known, even then, some desired His death and thus refused to accept Truth even when He stared them lovingly in the face. Having acknowledged this, we can hardly be surprised when we suffer for the sake of Truth Himself (cf. Matthew 5:10-12 RSVCE).
Additional notes:
Angels and demons are purely spiritual beings and thus have no physical weapons to fight each other nor us. The weapon they use is philosophy. If you read the beginning of Genesis, you know that Satan did not force Eve to eat of the fruit but tricked her into wanting to. If she had not been human and/or more dependent on God, she would not have fallen for the new philosophy. "What philosophy is at play?", one may ask. Realize what Satan is actually proposing beyond eating the fruit. He is proposing that we don't need God to tell us what is right and wrong, but we can decide for ourselves, and He is holding us back. Thereby we hope to trade places with God, however, it turns out that it is not possible. This is relativism's goal that we may become "God"; we determine truth, we determine right and wrong, we become the subject of our own religion (in a way that is not possible and mocks authentic religion). Saint Michael would say, "Who is like God?!!!"(best one-liner in all creation) and He would be right. Search out how you have applied relativism in your life and replace them with actions, thoughts, and words for the Lord. The full, complete, and therefore truest philosophy which has Christ at is center, which affirms the reality of our need for a Savior and also has Him. (The fight between Satan and Michael is often captured by Apocalyptic art and the painting below is no exception.)
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(Painting: Sermon and Deeds of the Antichrist by Luca Signorelli )
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