Response to relativism.

In referral to this: http://www.catholicnews.sg/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6339:viewpoints-use-pulpit-to-address-controversial-issues&catid=278:july-17-2011-vol-61-no-14&Itemid=79#comment-570

I'd like to thank refer Mr Au for his objective comments on the 12th of July, 2011.

In his comment, Mr Au implies that the key to deciding the morality of an action is based one's viewpoint and the semantics that define it. His example of abortion states that one side views abortion as murder as 'not a statement of fact but of value, of belief,…of judgement where inference becomes judgement' while the other position is a 'statement of what ought to be'. He treads dangerously in relativism in his suggestion.

If one follows the concepts of relativism, then, there can be no absolute fact from which to base our arguments on. Wrong can be right in one person’s eyes and this becomes a valid viewpoint as it has to be accepted since there is be no fact, only belief. Without this objective and factual absoluteness of fact to rely on, there is no morality in society, since there is no absolute right or absolute wrong.

An action, regardless of the semantics used to define it, or the beliefs held by another is still an action. Once committed, it cannot be taken back, it has become fact. These actions will, according to natural law, have consequences. These also become fact. If the pebble falls into a pond, there will be the consequence of a splash and ripples in the water. Regardless of disbelief, or viewpoint, the fact that the action of the falling pebble and the consequence of the splash and ripples is absolute. Simply put, no matter how much you believe and tell yourself that you believe that no ripple or splash will occur, it will occur. Also, if the action has moral consequence attached to it, it can either be described as evil or good. If the action has an evil consequence, it is an evil action, as it will cause evil, regardless of the intent.

Thus, the three examples, which Mr Au argued for, are without a doubt evil. Abortion is the direct surgical destruction of the unborn child. It is murder of one completely innocent and defenseless. One cannot murder an innocent child without consequences. Many women and their partners have been shown to suffer from Post Abortion Syndrome, a post-traumatic stress disorder, which causes their lives to destructively out of control.

Pornography makes men and women objectify each other, and turns the marital act into a plaything, to be enjoyed whenever one wants without fearing the consequences. Research shows that it causes the breakup of marriages, creates unrealistic expectations and makes one unsatisfied with what is normal and healthy, causes one to seek out abnormal behaviours to gratify oneself. The extreme consequence is to become a serial killer or rapist.

Same-sex marriage makes a mockery of Holy Matrimony and of the family. Allowing the floodgates of Same-sex marriage in society to open will soon create a hole that will allow gay adoption to thrive. Such an evil imposes on society the need for ‘equality’ in their adoption processes, allowing children who could be adopted by the childless heterosexual couples, to be adopted by a couple who cannot fully provide for the emotional development of a child. Studies show that children need both a male father and a female mother to thrive ideally. Furthermore, they also show that a child raised by homosexuals is more 7 times more likely to have a non-heterosexual sexuality and more likely to experiment sexually in adolescence. The nice ‘equality’ is great from the couple, but does nothing but ill to the poor child.

Similarly, we all have souls regardless of whether we believe that we do or not. When we die, we shall be judged and our soul will either go to heaven or hell to await the last day where it shall be reunited with our bodies. Our souls require nourishment and care, moreover, they can be injured through evil actions. When the evil action committed is a grave one and down with full intent and understanding, such as abortion, it is called a mortal sin, and like a mortal wound destroys our soul’s connection with God and prevents it from receiving salvation. Even small acts of evil can accumulate and become mortal.

We are lucky that we as members of the Church founded by Christ, that we escape the hell and eternal damnation through frequent reception of the sacraments, namely confession and communion. However, those who do not believe do not have access to these same sacraments and place themselves in great danger.

Therefore, such evils must be proclaimed and condemned publically by the Church, who is our only hope against evil because that is what she was commissioned by Christ to do. If she is silent, society will suffer. And when she speaks, it is with the truth. The truth does not impose, it merely is, it presents itself and allows for one to believe in it. When faced with the truth, one is innately drawn to it. That is the way the Church has always acted, she has told the good news and the truth and allowed people to make their minds up for themselves. One cannot have faith and understand it without being able to think.

Evil, on the other hand, imposes untruth on society, it seduces with sweet words and tells you what you want to hear, then forces you do what it wants. The legalisation of abortion while seemingly noble in it’s intent in respecting women’s rights has destroyed respect for life in general. Now pregnancies are treated as an inconvenience instead of a joyous celebration; people have become more selfish in society, instead of being blessed with the gift of bring forth life, they choose to have it ripped from their wombs in a most inhumane manner. It removes responsibility from people in society.

Hence, regardless of public opinion, the Church must speak out against evil, otherwise the devil’s laughter will flood hell as he fills it up. Without the voice of the Church, society has no hope.