Thursday, July 30, 2009

The Dictatorship of Relativism: the end of truth and freedom

It’s the height of hubris and the greatest philosophical non-sequitur: the mindless claim that “truth is relative”. We’ve all heard it before (and some of you out there may even have said it). “That may be true for you, but it’s not true for me.” Such a statement can only be valid if the topic is one of subjective experience, like “my favorite color is blue,” or “I like fresh strawberries,” or even “I find tattoos distasteful.” In such cases, what is true for one person may indeed not be true of another.

But if the idea in question is something like “abortion is the willful murder of an innocent human being, and therefore is always wrong” or “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered because they violate the meaning and purpose of the sexual dimension of human persons,” then it is something objective, something outside of ourselves. It’s not just a matter of personal judgment, preference or esthetic taste. Either an innocent human life is extinguished or it isn’t. Either the principle of human sexuality is violated or it isn’t. It’s not a matter of taste or opinion. (Of course, it is possible to debate those statements to determine whether or not they are in fact true, but what you can’t say is “it may your truth, but it isn’t my truth.”)

In no field of science, mathematics, engineering, etc. will any sane person claim to decide for himself his own truth. Truth is something that is discovered, not invented. It is outside us, beyond us, and we are meant to search it out by using our senses and intellect in order to find it, not create it with our feelings. Either colors exist or they don’t (regardless of whether or not a blind man believes them to exist). Either sodium and chlorine atoms react together to form salt or they don’t (whether or not we understand the process). Either 2 + 2 = 4, always and forever, or it doesn’t. Either the house, bridge and airplane are designed and built properly to withstand the forces and stresses of use or they aren’t. Science and engineering stand upon the bedrock of objective and discernable truth, and when they ignore it disaster ensues. We learn from what is real — we don’t just make it up as we go along as it suits our fancy, creating “our own reality” (something that is out-of-sync with what everyone else recognizes as reality).

So why is it only on the subject of morality (how people ought to treat each other and how they expect to be treated) is it common to hear that “truth is relative — there are no absolutes”? Is it just because it can’t be arrived at and demonstrated mathematically? But when you think about it, even here everyone but the most depraved will agree that some behaviors (wanton theft, murder and rape to name a few) are always wrong and must be strongly condemned and proscribed by society, that some things are indeed absolute. Some people would probably want to add “homophobia” to that list.

But if moral truth is indeed relative, who is to say that anything is always wrong? (“My morality tells me it’s OK to shoot you because I find you annoying and inconvenient. You’re in my way, you’re a problem to me, and I’ll just make you go away.” This is how hardened criminals think. Our prisons are full of moral relativists, and that’s the reason they are there!) No, if you give it any serious thought at all, it quickly becomes clear that even moral truth is objective, not “relative” (or subjective). The only real question is, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to conform your behavior to the objective reality of moral truth, or are you going to try to “redefine truth” to permit your immoral behavior and salve your troubled conscience. The latter choice can only lead to insanity, personal or societal.

If there is no such thing as objective moral truth, if “morality” is not something that is independent of subjective feelings and experiences, but only something that is created by human desires and imposed on others by the force of will, then real and honest debate (the art of persuasion by reasoned argument in pursuit of truth) becomes a meaningless concept, defined out of existence. It is no longer a matter of searching for and recognizing what is objectively true and good, but only deciding what is expedient or profitable for those with the strength to impose it on others who lack the power to defend themselves. It is a case of "might makes right".

So why is the idea of moral relativism, if it makes no logical sense, so prevalent in society and public discourse? The reason, of course, is that most people enjoy sinning and don’t want to be reminded that they are sinning so they can continue to sin without having to think about or worry about the consequences. So they fall into the evil habit of denial regarding one or more of their favorite sins because they refuse to repent of them.

And if such people become powerful or influential enough (either as individuals or, more commonly, in concert with large groups of like-minded people) they can persuade (or intimidate, or compel — depending on how powerful they are) others to accept (or at least not to resist) the idea that their sin is somehow okay, that it isn’t really a sin after all, and that it might even be a desirable form of civic virtue. It seems that the only “absolute” that the moral relativist will admit is “I’ve got this gun (or this law) at my disposal, and I can force you to do what I want!” This is the point at which moral relativism crosses over the line from mere “tolerance” to become a dictator and a tyrant, trampling upon all natural human rights, even as it contrives and imposes artificial “rights”.

Frequently there is a great deal of money behind this gradual shift from universally proscribed (defined as immoral or criminal), to tolerated, to accepted, to mandated. (“The love of money is the root of all evils” 1 Tim 6:10.) In politics, this is called corruption. “If you tolerate my indulging in my favorite sin, I won’t complain if and when you want to indulge in your favorite sin. And I’ll pay you to keep your mouth shut. I might even pay you more if you can convince others that I’m not so bad after all.” That’s how it usually starts — or perhaps with some form of blackmail instead of the promise of payment.

Here is an example. Prior to 1930 artificial contraception was universally condemned. All civilizations up ’til then considered the practice immoral and had laws prohibiting its use. Then, at its 1930 Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Communion of churches decided to permit it under limited circumstances inside the bonds of marriage. (The history of how it came to that decision is immaterial to this present discussion.)

That opened the floodgates. One by one, other (and eventually, all) Protestant churches dropped their objections to the use of contraception (only the Catholic Church remains steadfast to oppose it). Approximately 30 years after that fateful decision, “the Pill” was introduced and artificial contraception became easy and commonplace, and resistance to it was considered a joke. In 1965 the U.S. Supreme Court struck down all States’ laws prohibiting or restricting the manufacture and distribution of contraceptive chemicals and devices. Abortion is nothing but the logical “backup” to failed contraception (it always fails eventually). In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court took the next logical step and struck down all State’s laws prohibiting or restricting the practice of abortion.

The big legislative battle today is “Healthcare Reform,” the stalking horse for unlimited and mandatory “access” to contraception and abortion. Considered by its proponents to be “a fundamental right and an element of basic healthcare,” contraception and abortion are (according to Obama’s Plan) to be required by law, and anyone with strong moral or principled ethical objections to it (based either on religious conviction or scientific data), and who thereby refuse to participate in it, will certainly be subject to criminal prosecution (and all that that entails). This gives the lie, of course, to the whole “pro-Choice” B.S. (“Oh, I’m not ‘pro-abortion’,” they always say, “I’m pro-Choice.”) Under the present Obama-Care proposal, however, you will NOT have the “choice” to refuse. You will comply in providing contraception and abortion (or anything else Congress or the courts may deem “basic healthcare”) … or else!
(And by the way, what makes lawyers better qualified to run our lives than we are? Nothing, of course. They just think they “know what’s best” for everyone else and have the “guns” (police and courts) behind them to force their will on us.)

So there you have just one example of how the cover of moral “relativism” and “tolerance” turns into absolute tyranny.

The “gay rights” and “animal rights” agenda are following the same trajectory, pointing relentlessly to the ultimate destruction of the entire civilized social order (I am not exaggerating). Normal people are first asked to “tolerate” deviant opinions and behaviors at the fringes of society. Then, eventually, normal behavior and attitudes are “outlawed” by the deviants and their fellow travelers who have succeeded in “taking over the asylum,” and what was once universally understood as necessary for the proper functioning of human society becomes “a most intolerable crime to be prosecuted and punished to the full extent of the law!”

The “free exercise of religion” in America (supposedly “guaranteed” by the U.S. Bill of Rights) is being steadily driven underground by those who wish God and religion didn’t exist, just as was done in Soviet Russia and Red China (and elsewhere) in the last century. (Religion cannot be totally “exterminated”, of course, no matter how many believers are imprisoned or killed for their faith, but it can be temporarily driven from public view.) Soon, if the trend is not resisted and reversed by thinking and principled men and women, the only “religious expression” that will be permitted in public will be that which is “authorized” by the State. God help us all.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

coming soon ...

I hope to post a new essay on the topic of the Dictatorship of Relativism, especially as it relates to legislation and public policy, acceptable modes of public discourse ("tolerance"/P.C.), and the freedom of religious expression and practice.

Please be patient, and I'll try to get it up as soon as I can.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

It's been a long time, I know

It has been a very long time since I've posted here. I still occasionally check to see if anyone has left a new comment, but I just haven't found the inspiration to write anything major. I have a few ideas for topics, but they just seem to drift about in the back of my mind like vague cloud formations.

My mind hasn't been able to focus on a solid topic for some time. I think it's because there is SO MUCH going on so FAST that I haven't so much as started mulling over Topic A before I am distracted by Topics B, C and D and start thinking about what to write about them. And so it goes. There is so much to write about that nothing gets written.

Time/opportunity to write is also a big issue, as well as dealing with mental and physical fatigue after my long daily commute (approximately 50 miles between home and work).

My mind is fairly active most of the time, and there are plenty of things that bug me or I think need to be clarified or brought up for discussion, but I can't seem to focus on any one thing long enough to "put it to paper." There are a lot of things at work that bug me about how things are done, how people treat each other, or how "management" is structured or practiced. But I also write a column in my organization's quasi-monthly newsletter where I try to lay out issues in a logical fashion (sort of a "reality check"), or at least describe them from my perspective. (There's been nothing but positive feedback for the 4 articles I've written so far.) I should be starting on another one, but the thing that bugs me the most at work is extremely sensitive (touching on certain legal and regulatory issues), so I'm wondering if I can speak the truth (reality check again) without getting into serious "hot water."

So my mind is working on that problem (which has nothing to do with this blog, except that it consumes my time and mental energy). And I hear about the things going on in the political realm that are very serious and disturbing. And things and events that touch on public morality that demand discussion and clarification. And various issues within my own family that require my time and attention (but not necessarily things I would write about).

I envy those bloggers out there who find the time to write regularly (sometimes several times a day). For some, they can work it into their jobs, but for most people that isn't an option, so I appreciate and applaud their efforts and the passion that keeps them at it. (A lot of blogs are junk, of course, but many are quite good, and run the whole gamut of interesting fields and topics.) I also envy people who can just sit down and pound out an interesting blog on the spur of the moment. It takes me a couple of days, at least, to craft an essay once inpiration comes.

Blah, Blah, Blah ....

So what I'm trying to say, I guess, is that I'm still here but struggling to settle on a good topic to write about. (I'm always open to suggestions from you; but as I said above, I know that there's no shortage of things to write about. All I have to do is sit down and "just do it.")