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作者
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Ignatius
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Posted -
2006/4/6 下午 12:41:00
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The Seven Great Threats to the Catholic Church in Modern America
This is the first part of an eight-part editorial series on the errors of Modernism and Post-modernism. Both terms are used loosely and interchangeably in this article because post-modernism is the end result of the modernist cancer. In general however, modernism is defined as the world-view that grew out of Enlightenment philosophy in the 18th century and lead to the rise of empiricism. Post-modernism refers to the state of affairs in the late 20th century that declares Truth irrelevant and unattainable. Post-modernism ignores religion whereas modernism actively attacks religious philosophy.
Part I--Introduction to the Modernist Heresy: Why Modernism is Perilous
A great heresy gnaws at the roots of the Catholic faith in America. An insidious movement threatens to pull apart the Church from both the inside and outside. This is the infamous heresy of modernism and its spawn, post-modernism. It is a philosophy and way of life that threatens the Church’s very foundation by declaring it’s authority and divine constitution irrelevant. Many Americans are unaware of the pervasive force of modernism and cannot identity the seven great errors of modernism that penetrate into the Church internally (by way of Christian Liberalism) and externally (by an agnostic, secular generation). Without an ability to identify the errors of modernism, Christians are in danger of falling into this new and deadly heresy. Hence, it is the purpose of this series to convince the reader of the danger and existence of modernism by pointing out the seven errors and threats of modernism in popular American culture. In order to understand modernism it is first necessary to examine why heresies such as modernism have existed since the foundation of the Church. Next, the danger of modernism on the Church and contemporary society must be examined. Finally, each of the seven signs and errors of modernism will be examined so that the reader can learn to identify modernism and its effects.
The Church has always been beset by evil and false teachings for as long as she has existed. There are three main reasons why division and discord have always threatened (but never sapped) the foundation of the Church. The first and primary reason is that the Church stands as a lamp set on a hill for all to see and hear. She proclaims the message of her master, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and condemns the evils of the world while offering healing and forgiveness to all evildoers. The visible Church’s mission of healing and teaching does not go unnoticed by the Prince of this world: the devil. The Catholic Church stands as the ark of salvation and a very real threat to his domain. Hence the devil attempts every kind of attack on the Church by use of external forces (violence, persecutions, and natural disasters) along with internal discord (heresies, schisms, apostasy, and temptation of the clergy and laity). If not for Our Lord’s guarantee that the Church would never fail (Matthew 16:18), there is no way the Church’s members and hierarchy could resist the devil perpetually. The second reason heresy and discord are always found within the Church, is that certain men find the teachings and expectations of the Church burdensome. Very often, these men find that doing the right and moral thing is painful and often requires much suffering. It seems easier for many people to either ignore part or all of the Church’s teachings or substitute doctrines into the Faith that are more to their liking. Finally, the Church has always been assailed by heresy because men have often had a hard time accepting the limitations of their own nature. Pride often besets men (especially scholars and philosophers) and convinces them that they have no intellectual limitations. The result of intellectual pride is a continuous attempt to rationalize the mysteries of God. Some things (such as understanding the true nature of the Trinity) are beyond the nature of man’s intelligence. But because prideful men cannot accept that the nature and acts of the infinite God are beyond the reach of men, these philosophers either reject God or rationalize the faith to fit their human philosophies. In the end, a fully rationalized faith has no room for miracles, the divinity of Christ or many other core tenets of the Faith. What results from undue rationalizations are nothing less than heresies and a watered down faith. Thus the attacks of Satan, man’s dislike of the moral life, and prideful rationalizations of Christian mysteries account for the continuing presence of false teaching in a world that has been given a divinely instituted and visible teaching Church.
Many heresies have threatened the Catholic faith throughout the ages. However, none are as dangerous and insidious as Modernism. The average man in the street has very little understanding of what is meant by the term “modernism.” As a result, modernism ought to be defined before proceeding onto a discussion of this heresy. Some might mistakenly believe that the Church’s fight against modernism is an attack on science (the perceived Science vs. Religion debate). This is simply not true. For science is simply the careful, ordered observation of the material universe through the scientific method. Observation of the material world leads to a general theory, experimentation to support the theory, and finally a practical application. There is nothing inherently wrong with man studying the material world. God has created the material world and declared that it is good. That is why Catholicism does not condemn or oppose science and the study of the material. Instead, what is meant by “modernism” is a sustained attack on the Catholic Church by way of philosophy and an agnostic world-view. It should be noted that modernism is not a formulated, written-in-stone heresy. Rather it is an elusive yet powerful attack on the perceived relevance of the Church. Ultimately, it leads to wholesale societal embrace of agnosticism. Modernism is best defined and understood by identifying and examining the seven errors that permeate it. We will treat on these errors later in this series (thus solidifying our definition of modernism). Therefore with our preliminary definition of modernism in hand, we can now analyze modernism’s danger and effect on the Church.
Modernism threatens the Church like no other heresy because modernism refuses to argue the Church’s doctrines openly and directly. Instead, modernism attempts to sap the Church of its relevance. Rather than attack the doctrines of God openly like previous heresies, modernism simply distracts the modern man by offering the allure of materialism. For example, instead of flatly denying the existence of God with philosophical arguments, moderns learn to embrace agnosticism by asserting that religion is not as important as other things in life like patriotism or “making a better world for our children.” How many times have we heard someone assert that all things should be taken in moderation: especially religion? The modern man will also learn to deny the reality of the supernatural by claiming that belief in angels and demons are superstitious, dated beliefs. The charge of superstition is often levied on religion with little reasoning or argument from the modernist. It is simply a blanket statement that frees the modernist from the burden of belief in angels, demons and especially the inconvenient belief in hell. Truly, the modernist heresy is a slippery slope. It begins with skepticism, slides into corrosion of faith, then attempts to rewrite or ignore the doctrines of Christianity, and finally ends up eliminating the worship of God and adherence to classic morality. Worst of all, modernists have the temerity to accuse Christians of holding irrational beliefs without justification while the bulk of their adherents subscribe to the agnostic world-view with little justification. In place of Christianity it holds up noble values drained of their virtue and substance. Freedom (from morality), tolerance (to everything but historical Christianity), and material progress become the new virtues of society. In the final analysis modernism seeks to kill the Church not by open warfare, but by drowning out her voice with the allure of hedonism, the frenetic hum of the freeways, the ring of the stock market, and the drone of the work place. Modernism has one simple message for the Church: You do not matter.
No other heresy has ever attacked the Church in this manner. Protestantism, Arianism, gnosticism, and all of the rest flagrantly waged open warfare with sharpened swords and paper and pen. The Church, the bastion of truth, was ultimately strengthened by these attacks because these heresies called forth the sharpest minds of the Church to defend the Faith. Past heretical attacks often pressed the magesterium to define the faith more clearly and lucidly. The Arian heresy lead to the splendid Nicean creed. Protestantism provoked the doctrinal magnificence of the Council of Trent. Past heresies have also lead to a resurgence of piety and ardor in the faithful (such as the Counter-reformation and the rise of the Jesuit missionaries after the Reformation). Modernism is different though. Its attempt to drain the Church of its relevance strangles the voice of the Church. How many Americans have heard the warnings of Pope John Paul II about America’s culture of death, but failed to listen because of Catholicism’s apparent waning relevance?
This is not to say that modernism and post-modernism is without philosophical backing. It very often is, but the masses outside the Church and even within it become adherents to modernism not through the intellectual treatises of Hume, Nietzche and Freud, but through the pernicious distractions of materialism. Hume could at least be argued and reasoned with; his own lack of faith was ultimately attributed to pride. Unfortunately, our own contemporaries refuse to listen to reason at all. After all, why listen to a preachy conservative who makes one feel guilty when there are so many more exciting things to do? Rather than open the door to a missionary, isn’t it simpler to pretend you’re not at home?
Catholics must take heed to the effects of modernism and post-modernism. Its effect on Americans cannot be glossed over. We must temper our evangelization strategies with the fire of Truth, a joyful spirit, and open, caring hearts if we are to compete for the attention and respect of our fellow Americans. Ultimately, each person hungers for Truth that can only be filled by Jesus Christ. However, it is imperative that we avoid being judgmental, antagonistic, or frustrated lest the Gospel message perish in our faults and mistakes. In the end, the Church’s divine foundation will prevail against the winds of the times. But at what cost in lost souls must we pay before modernism is finally stamped out?
--S.M. Miranda
Next week I will address the first error of modernism: the philosophy of relativism.
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Ignatius
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Posted -
2006/4/6 下午 12:41:21
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The Seven Greatest Threats to the Catholic Church in Modern America
This is the second part of an eight-part editorial series on the errors of Modernism and Post-modernism. Both terms are used loosely and interchangeably in this article because post-modernism is the end result of the modernist cancer. In general however, modernism is defined as the world-view that grew out of Enlightenment philosophy in the 18th century and lead to the rise of empiricism. Post-modernism refers to the state of affairs in the late 20th century that declares Truth irrelevant and unattainable. Post-modernism ignores religion whereas modernism actively attacks religious philosophy.
Part II—First Error of Modernism: Relativity of Knowledge and the philosophy of Empiricism
Relativity is indeed the stillborn child of modern skepticism. It is a distinct worldview that claims that no man can be sure his worldview is absolutely correct because no worldview is absolutely correct. The relativist believes that there is no eternal, absolute truth; he believes that all opinions and propositions given are in fact only true in relation to the adherent of the view. For example, a relativist might say that the belief in God is true for some people (because of their internal convictions, sociological upbringing, and psychological conditioning) but not true for other people for similar reasons. In effect, a pure relativist reduces facts to opinion rather than outright defending or denying a proposition. He claims the only absolute truth is that there is no absolute truth. It is a dangerous error that leads to a lost sense of right and wrong, a conviction that religious truth is unattainable, and ultimately leads to moral and religious apathy. The end result of relativity is the deadly sin of spiritual sloth.
The philosophy of relativity is a direct reaction to the skepticism of the Enlightenment philosophers (such as David Hume). These philosophers questioned all modes of knowledge and debated how it is possible for a person to know anything (especially the role of faith and divine knowledge). Skeptics often attempt to reduce epistemology into one of two camps: empiricism, the belief that knowledge can be attained only through the senses (the way of modern science), and rationalism, the belief that reason is the ultimate starting point for all knowledge.
Skepticism’s withering attack on epistemology has lead the masses to believe that truth is impossible to attain. As a result, a generation of Americans has appeared who no longer believe that anything can be known for sure. In reaction to skepticism, the general public will often take one of two solutions. One solution to this dilemma is to abandon all hope in the existence of truth and embrace agnosticism. The other more common reaction to skepticism is to adopt a pragmatic empiricist philosophy that will only accept wisdom from the senses (by way of science) that yield immediate workable results. Both reactions have become embedded in mainstream America and have led to a gradual deterioration of faith. A loss of faith occurs because empiricism seeks to replace religious truths (both natural and revealed religion) with materialistic science. Agnosticism is the end result of relativism and is ultimately responsible for the public’s erroneous perception of a battle between religion and science. Since the adverse impact of agnosticism on religion is immediately obvious, this article will treat only on the second solution to skepticism.
One effect of adopting pragmatic empiricism as a solution to skepticism is the wholesale assault on rationalism and its subsequent abandonment. The general public, who has unwittingly bought into the epistemology of empiricism, is no longer aware that rationalism is an avenue to truth. Nowhere is this more obvious then in the demand, “Prove to me that God exists.” Unfortunately, no general answer can be given to the satisfaction of the modernist because no empirical evidence exists to prove God’s existence. God’s existence cannot be seen with a telescope, microscope or any scientific instrument. No one will ever see God as an old venerable man smiling down from the clouds. For the modernist, this lack of physical evidence is enough to discredit organized religion. The modernist, confronted by lack of empirical evidence, will then either accept religious agnosticism or reduce faith to the realm of emotion. Since God’s existence cannot be proven, argues the skeptic, that must mean religion can only be validated by “faith”. And what is faith for the modernist? Faith is a “feeling”; an encounter with the spiritually sublime that is an intimate private affair. Since God can only be known by this quasi-faith, the modernist will reject the proposition that knowledge of God is an absolute truth. God becomes a relative truth that cannot be defined and pressed on others to believe. As a result, worship of God deteriorates into a vague personal experience. Organized religion’s demand that the community worship God in a public union (such as at mass) begins to look silly and unnecessary to the modernist. Dogma and religious doctrines become laughable. Evangelization of non-believers looses all of its force and credibility to the modernist. After all, why force your personal “faith” on someone else, who has a right to believe what ever they want to believe? It is this overzealous use of pragmatic empiricism at the expense of rationalism that has strangled the life out of the Catholic Church in Europe and now threatens to spill into America and the rest of Western society. God is no longer our beloved creator and redeemer: he is now an experience to be claimed by the spiritually inclined.
A second effect of pragmatic skepticism is a declining sense of morals. This occurs because pragmatism answers skepticism’s incessant howl by declaring that knowledge is found by adopting whatever works. On the surface, pragmatism seems like an ideal solution to skepticism. When challenged to explain why we believe anything, the pragmatist simply says, “I believe this because it works”. No other justification is necessary. For example, science works so that must mean it is true. An unfortunate byproduct of pragmatism and empiricism is that it fails in application to rational questions such as, “how should a man act to be morally good?” Pragmatism will often answer this question by focusing on society at large. Pragmatic empiricists will say that morals are defined by whatever allows society to continue to exist and function properly. For example, uncontrolled homicide would cause irreparable damage the social structure; therefore homicide must be immoral. Unfortunately, many of the Judeo-Christian morals suffer under application of pragmatic morality. Sex is a good example. What are the effects of sexual actions on society? Sex causes pregnancies, spreads disease, and intensifies interpersonal relationships. Sex is also incredibly pleasing for most people. The harm that sex does cause can seemingly be controlled by birth-control, abortion, and medicine. As a result, a modernist who adopts the pragmatic-empirical philosophy has little moral justification for taming the sexual appetite of the individual. Every type of perversion and moral incongruity can be justified as long as it does not hurt anyone else in the process. The spread of modernism explains why morals are decaying rapidly in the west. Homosexuality, artificial birth-control, and abortion were once unthinkable evils in the Christianized Western world. These practices are now largely supported in the American Church and are thoroughly impregnated throughout Europe. Lust is not the only vice that is gaining public acceptance. Pride and avarice are rooted throughout the business world. Since these vices work well on a financial level, they are now tolerated by the masses. The twin forces of pragmatism and human concupiscence discredit religious moral convictions. The corrosion of morals is one of the fruits of the modernist reaction to skepticism.
Adherents of modernism have commented that rationalism is the driving force against religious belief. Ultimately, this is untrue because it is the force of empiricist philosophy manifested in nominalism and pragmatism that provides the bulwark of modernist human beliefs. The evidence to support this hypothesis is manifest in the modern deification of science. Science, a materialist access to knowledge, is often touted as the only true way to rationally understand the world. The use of the word “rational” in this statement is simply a modernist synonym for intelligent. The definition of rational is divorced from its true meaning: the access of knowledge through reason. For a modernist, the only reasonable way to view the world is thorough scientific empiricism; hence he calls his approach reasonable and rational. In truth however, the modernist philosophy is not rational; it is explicitly empirical.
The error of empiricism latent in the modernist heresy is troubling because it attempts to cast religious belief as irrational (an ironic twist of words) and unintelligent. The modernist reaction to relativism manifested in empiricism seeks to discredit religion as a fantasy at best and psychological delusion at its worst. The only cure for the error of modernism is a healthy dose of rationalism. In order to combat this error, a Catholic evangelist must first understand that relativity has its place in matters of opinion; but one must understand that not all propositions are matters of point of view. Rational thought, manifested in philosophical proofs, is a reflection of the truth in the world. The world is what it is; either our various beliefs about it are right or they are wrong. Either light exists or it doesn’t. There is no in-between; light doesn’t exist for one person and not exist for another simply because one person refuses to believe in it. If a Catholic can press the point on the difficulties of relativism, the evangelist should be able to turn the tide on empiricism as well. For if truth exists, surely our rational thought process plays some role in finding that truth. Rational proofs are a way to truth; provided they are logical and the propositions true. It is imperative for a modern Christian’s evangelization strategy to be familiar with the merits of unified rational thought and empirical observation. Catholicism’s strength has always been its utmost respect of the total human: both body and soul. For the soul is manifest with rationalism and intelligence, and the body with empirical materialism. It is this unity that must drive our search for truth.
The next editorial will focus on the second error of modernism: tolerance of error.
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Augustine
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Posted -
2006/4/6 下午 10:47:11
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Could you post the other parts as well? thanks.
(Hope next time we hear something about Idealism...even Heidegarian phenomenology)
A good reference on modernism: http://home.comcast.net/~icuweb/c03400.htm
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