Quid est Veritas? What is truth?
These are Pontius Pilate’s words to Jesus in one of the most ironic points of the Gospel1 where the secular ruler finds himself in the presence of Truth Himself.2
Our western contemporaries push radicalized epistemological brands such as scientism, skepticism, or relativism.
Radical empiricism, of course, is itself a claim cannot be proven truth by empirical evidence. There’s already a faith claim in this proposition, as it cannot be tested itself empirically. The claim rests upon a contradiction. This is usually the “In science we trust” crowd that attempts to pit faith against reason or religion against scientific study.
True religious belief, true faith, is never against reason. It is supra-rational, not infra-rational. The latter is that of superstition. Read more here.
We’re responsible for cultivating our intellect as far as we’re able, and so long as it does not distract us from what is of highest value to our eternal soul, advancing the natural sciences is well within the Catholic Christian’s scope of responsibility to humanity. (Consider that we have a Catholic priest to thank for the Big Bang theory or look up the Vatican Observatory and try to tell yourself the Church is anti-science.)
Skepticism or relativism makes for a catchy soundbite or entertaining bumper sticker, but immediately crumbles once practiced. Take morality: the Nuremburg Trials, armed robbery, child sacrifice, and smoking around a newborn are all instances where humanity comes together to agree on a basis of objective morality. You just know as a human certain things are wrong, and to say otherwise you’d have to be in an insane asylum or graduate school.
Pope Benedict XVI coined the phrase the “dictatorship of relativism.” Relativists will generally believe themselves to be the “tolerant type,” but quickly devolve into being intolerant of what they deem to be intolerant, and so the snake eats its tail. People simply have objective truth standards regardless of what they initially propose.
The revival of voluntarism, the submission of the intellect to the will, is seen not only in secular culture, but even in the pews of every church or community nationwide. This is worth the quick read, as well.
The truth doesn’t change according to your ability to stomach it. - Flannery O’Connor
Parmenides uttered one of the first pieces of wisdom that came to be what we now call philosophy: the principle of non-contradiction (Whatever is, is. Whatever is not, is not. A=A). Even in this basic principle, he attributed such wisdom as being revealed by the gods.
If we have an innate desire for something, there must be a reason for it and something to quench it. We get hungry because food exists. Man desires by his nature to know, says Aristotle as he introduces the Metaphysics, so truth must be attainable.
There are degrees in truth claims:
This food is good.
Subjective, based on the speaker, and the nature of an opinion is implied.
The sky is blue.
Dependent on time and space. (The sky is not blue on Venus)
2+2=4
True regardless of time and space. If Earth blows up, math is still true.
God exists.
A self-evident truth in itself, but not immediately knowable to us until terms are defined.3
God became man.
A claim only known by faith, that theological virtue given by grace by which we are able to assent to the revealed truths of God.4
If someone has faith, we can argue the points of theology and show they’re true. If someone doesn’t have faith, we can prove philosophically that God exists by the natural light of reason. After that point, we can still show that our faith is reasonable and that many things follow, but no one can reason their way to a relationship with Christ. It must be given by grace through the supernatural light of faith.
The truths of the Catholic faith should not be confused with mere beliefs found in other religions or Christian communities. Our profession of faith is not one way among others of professing to believe in God. Animating faith in the saving truths revealed by God grants us a greater adherence to the God who revealed them.5
The science of religion is the most sure, beautiful, necessary, and consoling of sciences as it is founded on the infallible Word of God,6 concerns itself with the highest realities, teaches of the “one thing necessary”7, and offers the only universal and effective remedy for moral evils that man will face in his life.
For these reasons, there is no such thing as a distinction between dogma and grace, doctrinal teaching and pastoral charity, truth and freedom. There is nothing “pastoral” or “loving” about hiding realities (even uncomfortable ones) from someone. One of the most charitable things you can do for someone is to share the truth with them. A child running toward the road is pulled back by a loving parent, even if the child is scuffed up by the backward yank. Doctrine (literally, teaching) is freeing, liberating, and allows us to be fully human.
“Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” - John 8:32
For the rest of the class to be fruitful, prayer must be a part of your daily life. Below you will find common Catholic prayers to be familiar with, learn, and meditate upon.
Our Father
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Glory Be
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
The Apostle's Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into Hell, on the third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
John 18:28-38
John 14:6
God is his own existence. Ipsum esse subsistens. To say he exists is redundant.
John 20:29
Dominus Iesus, #7
John 14:6
Luke 10:42