Relativism - Catholic Church and Relativism

Catholic Church and Relativism

The Roman Catholic Church, especially under John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, has identified relativism as one of the most significant problems for faith and morals today.

According to the Church and to some philosophers, relativism, as a denial of absolute truth, leads to moral license and a denial of the possibility of sin and of God. Whether moral or epistemological, relativism constitutes a denial of the capacity of the human mind and reason to arrive at truth. Truth, according to Catholic theologians and philosophers (following Aristotle and Plato) consists of adequatio rei et intellectus, the correspondence of the mind and reality. Another way of putting it states that the mind has the same form as reality. This means when the form of the computer in front of someone (the type, color, shape, capacity, etc.) is also the form that is in their mind, then what they know is true because their mind corresponds to objective reality.

The denial of an absolute reference, of an axis mundi, denies God, who equates to Absolute Truth, according to these Christian philosophers. They link relativism to secularism, an obstruction of religion in human life.

Read more about this topic:  Relativism

Famous quotes containing the words catholic church, catholic and/or church:

    The Catholic Church has never really come to terms with women. What I object to is being treated either as Madonnas or Mary Magdalenes.
    Shirley Williams (b. 1930)

    May they rest in peace.
    [Requiescant in pace.]
    Missal, The. Order of Mass for the Dead.

    The Missal is book of prayers and rites used to celebrate the Roman Catholic mass during the year.

    She say, Celie, tell the truth, have you ever found God in church? I never did. I just found a bunch of folks hoping for him to show. Any God I ever felt in church I brought in with me. And I think all the other folks did too. They come to church to share God, not find God.
    Alice Walker (b. 1944)