Communicating ideas effectively and accurately can be a difficult task. We have been trained, in our sound-bite culture, to have an automatic reaction to certain words. Words like "rights", "equality", and "tolerance" are considered good in all circumstances. Whereas words like "discrimination", and "intolerance" have wholly negative connotations regardless of context.
I believe by treating language this way, we do ourselves a great disservice. Intellectual inquiry is stifled as we become obsessed with simplistic tests of morality. We fail to dig deeper to find the real answer and instead rely on keywords to help us make decisions.
The word I will focus on today is "discrimination". This word is almost universally considered bad. However, the word itself is neutral. In fact, discrimination is often a very good thing.
A hospital will discriminate against bad doctors when it is hiring. I will discriminate between various people to determine who will be my friend and who will not. We all discriminate when it comes to a restaurant that gives good service and one that does not. These are all cases of discrimination.
Discrimination becomes a bad thing when it is done completely arbitrarily. If I refuse to speak to black people simply because they are black, that is bad discrimination.
A big topic these days is gay marriage. Wherever gays cannot marry, they claim it is discrimination. However, as shown above, discrimination simply means making a decision on a particular topic. Marriage has a definition, that is the union of one man and one woman. Therefore to claim that anyone outside that category is being discriminated against by not being allowed to marry is technically correct, but it is not a matter of unjust discrimination.
The decision is based on the fact that the defintion does not include possibilities other than a man and a woman marrying. This law, by its very nature, discriminates against all non-heterosexual marriages. It discriminates against a brother and sister marrying. It discriminates against mother and son marrying. It discriminates against a sober person and a drunk person marrying.
People like to toss around the word "discrimination", and it has such a negative connotation that people automatically declare that it must be wrong. However, discrimination is a very important part of a good society.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Pope Pius X's Catechism
I came across a gem - Pope Pius X's Catechism. It's very well written because it gives questions and answers to thousands of questions. It's well worth a read.
It's available free in pdf format here.
It's available free in pdf format here.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Bad Argument Type #2: Slippery Slope Argument
Slippery slope is another argument type that doesn't always work. Of course sometimes it can but only in certain circumstances. It can work if it proposed like this: "X is wrong because of Y. And if X continues it will lead to more Y and possibly Z."
The slippery slope argument can also be easily misused. Often, the statement will imply that the current state of affairs is neutral, but if it continues, it will become immoral. Doing this avoids facing the problems of the current situation. The argument is rendered ineffective because the other side simply has to claim it will not progress that far. Since neither side has a crystal ball, the arguments turns to predictions. A safer model would be to show why what is currently happening is not good.
Take for example, the debate about homosexual marriage. Some have used the argument that if we allow same sex marriage, soon fathers and daughters will be marrying, or three people will marry, or people will marry their pets. While a case could possibly be made for these predictions, using such an argument actually ignores the current problems with same-sex marriage.
Implicitly, the person using the slippery slope argument is saying "gay marriage is ok, but when it starts becoming three people, then it will be wrong" even if that's not what they believe. An easy refutation to this argument is for the contrary side to claim that marriage among three individuals will not happen. Now a stalemate has occurred.
A better way to go about it is to argue for the negative effects of gay marriage on people and society. We are then arguing about actual things and not predictions.
Another area is euthanasia. People will say, they are killing babies in the womb, now they want to kill the elderly, soon we will be killing almost anyone we deem inferior. This argument can be effective in that it scares people into at least thinking about the issue of euthanasia. Perhaps it highlights logical consistency and where it would lead.
However, I believe ultimately it fails. It fails because again it is implied that killing the elderly is alright, but eventually it might lead to killing disabled people or any number of others, and at that point it becomes wrong. Again, the person using the slippery slope argument is not trying to imply this, but that's what comes across.
Ultimately it is better to argue for the current evil that is occurring (i.e. euthanasia). This is not a future prediction, but a current reality we must face.
Another general downfall to the slippery slope argument is that it constantly seeks a new starting point. It's almost a form of relativism. Those using it will concede a certain point and argue that the future might be worse. We use our current society and its values as a starting point and work our way from there. The problem with this is that there may be societal flaws which need to be addressed now. I think that's what has happened in a lot of people's moral reasoning.
For example, I was reading a newspaper article from the early 1960s which predicted that as more men gained access to pornography, there would be an increase in violence, especially sexual violence. Instead of focusing on the inherent evil of pornography, they focused on future effects that may arise with increasing use.
Another example is sexual morality. In the past, people would wait until marriage to engage in sexual actions. Eventually morality started to decline and the standards were lowered. Now it was considered appropriate to have sex with someone but only if the two were engaged or in a very serious relationship. Eventually the standard was lowered again to where people should engage in sexual activity but only if they have "protection". People now worry that children who are too young will be having sex in an "unsafe" way. The worry is not that they will have sex before marriage, or even that they will have sex outside a committed relationship, but only that they will not use "protection". We start talking about how bad things will get if this continues.
Instead of this, we should focus on what is morally acceptable in absolute terms, not in terms of prevailing opinion or in future worst case scenarios.
To conclude, while slippery slope arguments can serve as a wake-up call, good moral reasoning needs to be understood for what is currently happening.
The slippery slope argument can also be easily misused. Often, the statement will imply that the current state of affairs is neutral, but if it continues, it will become immoral. Doing this avoids facing the problems of the current situation. The argument is rendered ineffective because the other side simply has to claim it will not progress that far. Since neither side has a crystal ball, the arguments turns to predictions. A safer model would be to show why what is currently happening is not good.
Take for example, the debate about homosexual marriage. Some have used the argument that if we allow same sex marriage, soon fathers and daughters will be marrying, or three people will marry, or people will marry their pets. While a case could possibly be made for these predictions, using such an argument actually ignores the current problems with same-sex marriage.
Implicitly, the person using the slippery slope argument is saying "gay marriage is ok, but when it starts becoming three people, then it will be wrong" even if that's not what they believe. An easy refutation to this argument is for the contrary side to claim that marriage among three individuals will not happen. Now a stalemate has occurred.
A better way to go about it is to argue for the negative effects of gay marriage on people and society. We are then arguing about actual things and not predictions.
Another area is euthanasia. People will say, they are killing babies in the womb, now they want to kill the elderly, soon we will be killing almost anyone we deem inferior. This argument can be effective in that it scares people into at least thinking about the issue of euthanasia. Perhaps it highlights logical consistency and where it would lead.
However, I believe ultimately it fails. It fails because again it is implied that killing the elderly is alright, but eventually it might lead to killing disabled people or any number of others, and at that point it becomes wrong. Again, the person using the slippery slope argument is not trying to imply this, but that's what comes across.
Ultimately it is better to argue for the current evil that is occurring (i.e. euthanasia). This is not a future prediction, but a current reality we must face.
Another general downfall to the slippery slope argument is that it constantly seeks a new starting point. It's almost a form of relativism. Those using it will concede a certain point and argue that the future might be worse. We use our current society and its values as a starting point and work our way from there. The problem with this is that there may be societal flaws which need to be addressed now. I think that's what has happened in a lot of people's moral reasoning.
For example, I was reading a newspaper article from the early 1960s which predicted that as more men gained access to pornography, there would be an increase in violence, especially sexual violence. Instead of focusing on the inherent evil of pornography, they focused on future effects that may arise with increasing use.
Another example is sexual morality. In the past, people would wait until marriage to engage in sexual actions. Eventually morality started to decline and the standards were lowered. Now it was considered appropriate to have sex with someone but only if the two were engaged or in a very serious relationship. Eventually the standard was lowered again to where people should engage in sexual activity but only if they have "protection". People now worry that children who are too young will be having sex in an "unsafe" way. The worry is not that they will have sex before marriage, or even that they will have sex outside a committed relationship, but only that they will not use "protection". We start talking about how bad things will get if this continues.
Instead of this, we should focus on what is morally acceptable in absolute terms, not in terms of prevailing opinion or in future worst case scenarios.
To conclude, while slippery slope arguments can serve as a wake-up call, good moral reasoning needs to be understood for what is currently happening.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Gay Pride Parade in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Yesterday on my way home from Mass, I saw a large gathering of people waving rainbow-coloured flags in front of the Colonial Building on Military Road. I decided to park and walk over to see what it was all about. It was apparent right away that it was a gay pride parade. There were about 200 people, mostly teenagers, gathered wearing brightly coloured clothing. There was a bullhorn that was occassionally used to chant slogans. I could not fully make out one of the chants, but it was something along the lines of
Black, white, queer, straight
No need to discriminate
I'm actually not sure what the second line is, but it was something like that. Also present at the event were the media, including NTV, VOCM, and the Telegram. There were road blocks set up in several places, which I noticed on my way to Mass in the morning, as I had to divert my path a couple of times.
After a while, the group started a parade of sorts through the streets. Again, the bullhorn was occassionally used. I'm not sure how far they went, but there was a police cruiser in front of them.
I question the purpose of such a demonstration. In Canada, Newfoundland included, two men or two women can marry. They share the same benefits as everyone else. They can even adopt children and so on. Yet, the gay community continuously harps on the idea of equality and acceptance.
I believe the gay community does not want only equal rights under the law, they also want everyone to accept their lifestyle and to agree with them. They claim intolerance, but they are more intolerant than anyone else. They want to quell any opposition to their lifestyle. If someone expresses their belief that children do best with their own mother and father in the household and that gay adoption violates this, that individual is seen as a hatemonger.
Could there be something deeper? Perhaps the gay community does not accept itself but instead of confronting this, they project these thoughts onto society at large. In order to mask their self-doubt about their lifestyle, they contend that it is society that is holding them back or making them feel this way. It is much easier to lash out at an external force than to do personal soul-searching.
I believe gay people have equal dignity as the rest of the population. They deserve love and compassion. However, we must consider the rights of everyone, including children. It is also necessary to evaluate activities in the light of science, sociology and human wisdom when creating laws and this should not be summarily dismissed as "homophobia".
I noticed at the gathering there was not an opposing group of people demonstrating against homosexuality and I am unaware of any such group that ever organizes in our province. Is it possible that what the LGBT community is fighting it not external but is rather internal turmoil?
Black, white, queer, straight
No need to discriminate
I'm actually not sure what the second line is, but it was something like that. Also present at the event were the media, including NTV, VOCM, and the Telegram. There were road blocks set up in several places, which I noticed on my way to Mass in the morning, as I had to divert my path a couple of times.
After a while, the group started a parade of sorts through the streets. Again, the bullhorn was occassionally used. I'm not sure how far they went, but there was a police cruiser in front of them.
I question the purpose of such a demonstration. In Canada, Newfoundland included, two men or two women can marry. They share the same benefits as everyone else. They can even adopt children and so on. Yet, the gay community continuously harps on the idea of equality and acceptance.
I believe the gay community does not want only equal rights under the law, they also want everyone to accept their lifestyle and to agree with them. They claim intolerance, but they are more intolerant than anyone else. They want to quell any opposition to their lifestyle. If someone expresses their belief that children do best with their own mother and father in the household and that gay adoption violates this, that individual is seen as a hatemonger.
Could there be something deeper? Perhaps the gay community does not accept itself but instead of confronting this, they project these thoughts onto society at large. In order to mask their self-doubt about their lifestyle, they contend that it is society that is holding them back or making them feel this way. It is much easier to lash out at an external force than to do personal soul-searching.
I believe gay people have equal dignity as the rest of the population. They deserve love and compassion. However, we must consider the rights of everyone, including children. It is also necessary to evaluate activities in the light of science, sociology and human wisdom when creating laws and this should not be summarily dismissed as "homophobia".
I noticed at the gathering there was not an opposing group of people demonstrating against homosexuality and I am unaware of any such group that ever organizes in our province. Is it possible that what the LGBT community is fighting it not external but is rather internal turmoil?
Professor banned for teaching Catholic dogma
There's a lot of bias in universities nowadays, especially against people who believe in God, especially Catholics. This prof was banned because he dared teach the Catholic Church's belief about homosexuality.
Check out his facebook page.
Check out his facebook page.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Was St. Christopher fictional?
Many people think that St. Christopher was fictional and this is why he was removed from the general calendar of saints. But this opinion is misinformed. Anyone named Christopher needn't worry, he was real. Let me explained what happened.
Basically, St. Christopher is still officially worshipped on July 25th, but he was removed from the calendar because almost nothing is known about him historically and although he lived in the 3rd century, veneration of him only started in the 1500s.
There are however several legends related to St. Christopher. A fascinating one can be found on Wikipedia. Here it is:
Christopher was a Canaanite 5 cubits (7.5 feet (2.3 m)) tall and with a fearsome face. While serving the king of Canaan, he took it into his head to go and serve the greatest king there was. He went to the king who was reputed to be the greatest, but one day he saw the king cross himself at the mention of the devil. On thus learning that the king feared the devil, he departed to look for the devil. He came across a band of marauders, one of whom declared himself to be the devil, so Christopher decided to serve him. But when he saw his new master avoid a wayside cross and found out that the devil feared Christ, he left him and enquired from people where to find Christ. He met a hermit who instructed him in the Christian faith. Christopher asked him how he could serve Christ. When the hermit suggested fasting and prayer, Christopher replied that he was unable to perform that service. The hermit then suggested that because of his size and strength Christopher could serve Christ by assisting people to cross a dangerous river, where they were perishing in the attempt. The hermit promised that this service would be pleasing to Christ.[citation needed]
After Christopher had performed this service for some time, a little child asked him to take him across the river. During the crossing, the river became swollen and the child seemed as heavy as lead, so much that Christopher could scarcely carry him and found himself in great difficulty. When he finally reached the other side, he said to the child: "You have put me in the greatest danger. I do not think the whole world could have been as heavy on my shoulders as you were." The child replied: "You had on your shoulders not only the whole world but Him who made it. I am Christ your king, whom you are serving by this work." The child then vanished.[citation needed]
Christopher later visited the city of Lycia and there comforted the Christians who were being martyred. Brought before the local king, he refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods. The king tried to win him by riches and by sending two beautiful women to tempt him. Christopher converted the women to Christianity, as he had already converted thousands in the city. The king ordered him to be killed. Various attempts failed, but finally Christopher was decapitated.
Basically, St. Christopher is still officially worshipped on July 25th, but he was removed from the calendar because almost nothing is known about him historically and although he lived in the 3rd century, veneration of him only started in the 1500s.
There are however several legends related to St. Christopher. A fascinating one can be found on Wikipedia. Here it is:
Christopher was a Canaanite 5 cubits (7.5 feet (2.3 m)) tall and with a fearsome face. While serving the king of Canaan, he took it into his head to go and serve the greatest king there was. He went to the king who was reputed to be the greatest, but one day he saw the king cross himself at the mention of the devil. On thus learning that the king feared the devil, he departed to look for the devil. He came across a band of marauders, one of whom declared himself to be the devil, so Christopher decided to serve him. But when he saw his new master avoid a wayside cross and found out that the devil feared Christ, he left him and enquired from people where to find Christ. He met a hermit who instructed him in the Christian faith. Christopher asked him how he could serve Christ. When the hermit suggested fasting and prayer, Christopher replied that he was unable to perform that service. The hermit then suggested that because of his size and strength Christopher could serve Christ by assisting people to cross a dangerous river, where they were perishing in the attempt. The hermit promised that this service would be pleasing to Christ.[citation needed]
After Christopher had performed this service for some time, a little child asked him to take him across the river. During the crossing, the river became swollen and the child seemed as heavy as lead, so much that Christopher could scarcely carry him and found himself in great difficulty. When he finally reached the other side, he said to the child: "You have put me in the greatest danger. I do not think the whole world could have been as heavy on my shoulders as you were." The child replied: "You had on your shoulders not only the whole world but Him who made it. I am Christ your king, whom you are serving by this work." The child then vanished.[citation needed]
Christopher later visited the city of Lycia and there comforted the Christians who were being martyred. Brought before the local king, he refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods. The king tried to win him by riches and by sending two beautiful women to tempt him. Christopher converted the women to Christianity, as he had already converted thousands in the city. The king ordered him to be killed. Various attempts failed, but finally Christopher was decapitated.
Ban on Women's ordination does not mean they are inferior
The priesthood is reserved for men and any violation of this carries the penalty of an automatic excommunication. But this does not mean that women are inferior. The priesthood is simply not the role of the woman.
Jesus only selected men for apostles. He could have easily chose his mother for whom he had much love, but he didn't. We would not claim that Jesus was sexist.
When the priest says "this is my body, this is my blood" on the altar, he is acting in the person of Christ. Integral to Christ is his maleness. The priest does not say "This is Christ's body" he says it's his body, because he is in persona Christi.
The Church is not refusing to ordain women. It simply has no right to ordain them. God did not give them this right. If it has been forbidden since the beginning of Christianity, it cannot suddenly be allowed. The doctrines of the church can develop but they cannot be abrogated.
Check out the full article here:
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1002915.htm
Jesus only selected men for apostles. He could have easily chose his mother for whom he had much love, but he didn't. We would not claim that Jesus was sexist.
When the priest says "this is my body, this is my blood" on the altar, he is acting in the person of Christ. Integral to Christ is his maleness. The priest does not say "This is Christ's body" he says it's his body, because he is in persona Christi.
The Church is not refusing to ordain women. It simply has no right to ordain them. God did not give them this right. If it has been forbidden since the beginning of Christianity, it cannot suddenly be allowed. The doctrines of the church can develop but they cannot be abrogated.
Check out the full article here:
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1002915.htm
Saturday, July 24, 2010
British Government removes offensive petition
The British Government had a petition on its website for people to express their displeasure at the pope's arrival. It was put there by a secularist group and was against the pope's stances on homosexual marriage, condoms, embryonic stem cell research and other things.
The British government felt this petition went way too far and got rid of it from their website. And so they should. The government is sponsoring the trip so why would they have a petition against it?
Of course, this group probably wouldn't oppose the arrival of any other religious leader, even if s/he opposed the same things as the pope. It's just classic anti-catholicism.
The story is here:
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1002961.htm
The British government felt this petition went way too far and got rid of it from their website. And so they should. The government is sponsoring the trip so why would they have a petition against it?
Of course, this group probably wouldn't oppose the arrival of any other religious leader, even if s/he opposed the same things as the pope. It's just classic anti-catholicism.
The story is here:
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1002961.htm
Friday, July 23, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Bad Argument Type #1: Practical or Pragmatic Considerations
I wanted to analyze some argument types that I find unappealing. Today I will focus on practical or pragmatic arguments. They are quite popular, but ultimately they are quite weak. Since this subject is rather abstract, I will attempt to use examples to help clarify.
Practical or pragmatic arguments typically ignore moral or ethical considerations and focus on more immediate considerations. But without a moral basis, the arguments are on shaky ground as new evidence could potentially remove their validity. In other words, the nature of the practical considerations could change to something favourable and thus eliminate it as an opposing factor.
As I said in the beginning, I think examples will be essential. A popular topic on this blog is abortion. I will show here how a practical or pragmatic approach to this question is a poor choice, even though at first it may seem appealing.
One approach to the abortion debate has been to show the harm it causes to women. Pro-life activists will say abortion causes emotional distress on women which can last for many years. They say the guilt can be very difficult to bear. On top of these emotional issues, they point out the physical ramifications, including the possibility of a "botched" abortion, or effects in the future such as increased cancer risk. While these may be true, I believe this approach may ultimately fail.
There are several reasons why this is not the best approach. First of all, abortion is very common. It is in fact the most common medical procedure out there, or something along those lines. A lot of people know women who have had abortions. Many of them do not experience physical or psychological issues after their abortion. I do not believe even the majority do. It could be as low as 10-20%. Therefore, by presenting those as arguments against abortion, someone would only have to be reassured that such effects are rare. The person would then be an advocate for abortion once again.
On top of this, as medical science advances, it would perhaps become possible that even fewer women would experience negative effects, thus weakening the arugment even further. Further, people who use this argument are in a precarious situation. I've heard people say that all women experience negative effects after an abortion. They say that those who claim not to are simply denying the truth, or being dishonest. But this position reeks of conspiracy theory. It cannot be disproven because those in the know are presumed to be lying.
Another weakness of this argument is that it makes women the absolute focus, without considering the baby. This is exactly where the pro-choice side wants people to be. Once the focus is exclusively on the women considering an abortion, the pro-life side cannot win. The focus must remain on the unborn child.
The best argument is a moral one from the point of view of the life of the child. There is a unique, individual child with all his DNA indicating his hair colour, personality, and other characteristics, etc. Often by the time women realize they are pregnant, the child is advanced in development including heart beat and brain waves. But most of all, there is a unique individual being considered. This fact cannot be lessened through medical science. Science will never find a way to reduce the personhood of this child through some objective means in the same way as the negative impacts on a woman can be.
The sanctity of life is a philosophical and theological argument that maintains its full force in any circumstance.
There are other areas as well where using practical or pragmatic arguments can be advantageous but often are unsustainable into the future.
A second example is pornography. I was reading some newspaper articles from the 1960s about pornography. Back then it was a VERY shady undertaking. It was thoroughly illegal and there was great public fear about it. At the same time, it was already a big business. One of the fears that came about was that if men were exposed to pornography, they would become violent, perhaps killers or rapists. Therefore, it was said, pornography must be stopped.
This again is a poor argument. It is in fact even used today, but some are claiming the opposite is true. They say that because of the availability of pornography, men who would ordinarily be rapists have instead fulfilled their illicit desires through pornography. Thus, violent sexual crime has decreased because of porn. If this is true, the original argument is completely destroyed. Does this now mean that pornography is neutral or even good? Well, according to the pragmatic approach, then yes. That's why it's a bad argument.
It may be more immediately impactful to say that porn will turn men into violent rapists, but in the long run, it is a rather ineffective argument. A better argument is again a philosophical one. Porn is bad because it strips the good of sex and instead of being used to unify spouses, it is used for personal gratification, thus rendering the user selfish. It also makes women into objects and men forget about reciprocal love. This selfishness then leads to a deterioration of intimacy and love. That argument cannot be eliminated because it remains true.
There are many more situations where we are tempted to use pragmatic or practical arguments when defending a truth, but it is very important to know the philosophical basis behind a viewpoint. This is not to say practical considerations should not be used. I think if the information is correct, then it can be quite valuable. However, I think it is always essential to know the basis behind a moral argument.
Practical or pragmatic arguments typically ignore moral or ethical considerations and focus on more immediate considerations. But without a moral basis, the arguments are on shaky ground as new evidence could potentially remove their validity. In other words, the nature of the practical considerations could change to something favourable and thus eliminate it as an opposing factor.
As I said in the beginning, I think examples will be essential. A popular topic on this blog is abortion. I will show here how a practical or pragmatic approach to this question is a poor choice, even though at first it may seem appealing.
One approach to the abortion debate has been to show the harm it causes to women. Pro-life activists will say abortion causes emotional distress on women which can last for many years. They say the guilt can be very difficult to bear. On top of these emotional issues, they point out the physical ramifications, including the possibility of a "botched" abortion, or effects in the future such as increased cancer risk. While these may be true, I believe this approach may ultimately fail.
There are several reasons why this is not the best approach. First of all, abortion is very common. It is in fact the most common medical procedure out there, or something along those lines. A lot of people know women who have had abortions. Many of them do not experience physical or psychological issues after their abortion. I do not believe even the majority do. It could be as low as 10-20%. Therefore, by presenting those as arguments against abortion, someone would only have to be reassured that such effects are rare. The person would then be an advocate for abortion once again.
On top of this, as medical science advances, it would perhaps become possible that even fewer women would experience negative effects, thus weakening the arugment even further. Further, people who use this argument are in a precarious situation. I've heard people say that all women experience negative effects after an abortion. They say that those who claim not to are simply denying the truth, or being dishonest. But this position reeks of conspiracy theory. It cannot be disproven because those in the know are presumed to be lying.
Another weakness of this argument is that it makes women the absolute focus, without considering the baby. This is exactly where the pro-choice side wants people to be. Once the focus is exclusively on the women considering an abortion, the pro-life side cannot win. The focus must remain on the unborn child.
The best argument is a moral one from the point of view of the life of the child. There is a unique, individual child with all his DNA indicating his hair colour, personality, and other characteristics, etc. Often by the time women realize they are pregnant, the child is advanced in development including heart beat and brain waves. But most of all, there is a unique individual being considered. This fact cannot be lessened through medical science. Science will never find a way to reduce the personhood of this child through some objective means in the same way as the negative impacts on a woman can be.
The sanctity of life is a philosophical and theological argument that maintains its full force in any circumstance.
There are other areas as well where using practical or pragmatic arguments can be advantageous but often are unsustainable into the future.
A second example is pornography. I was reading some newspaper articles from the 1960s about pornography. Back then it was a VERY shady undertaking. It was thoroughly illegal and there was great public fear about it. At the same time, it was already a big business. One of the fears that came about was that if men were exposed to pornography, they would become violent, perhaps killers or rapists. Therefore, it was said, pornography must be stopped.
This again is a poor argument. It is in fact even used today, but some are claiming the opposite is true. They say that because of the availability of pornography, men who would ordinarily be rapists have instead fulfilled their illicit desires through pornography. Thus, violent sexual crime has decreased because of porn. If this is true, the original argument is completely destroyed. Does this now mean that pornography is neutral or even good? Well, according to the pragmatic approach, then yes. That's why it's a bad argument.
It may be more immediately impactful to say that porn will turn men into violent rapists, but in the long run, it is a rather ineffective argument. A better argument is again a philosophical one. Porn is bad because it strips the good of sex and instead of being used to unify spouses, it is used for personal gratification, thus rendering the user selfish. It also makes women into objects and men forget about reciprocal love. This selfishness then leads to a deterioration of intimacy and love. That argument cannot be eliminated because it remains true.
There are many more situations where we are tempted to use pragmatic or practical arguments when defending a truth, but it is very important to know the philosophical basis behind a viewpoint. This is not to say practical considerations should not be used. I think if the information is correct, then it can be quite valuable. However, I think it is always essential to know the basis behind a moral argument.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Do you have questions about Catholicism and the Catholic Church?
If you have any questions about the Catholic Church or Catholicism, send them as a response to this post. I will then consider posting an answer. Thanks!
No One Draws a Bigger Crowd than the Pope
If you ever read the news, you'll notice that no celebrity, or famous person draws the crowds the pope does. If a popular band visits a country, you probably wouldn't even hear about it. The Queen came to Canada recently. It was on the news, but I only found out about it once she arrived. On the other hand, when Pope John Paul II came to Canada in 2002, there was news about it for months prior to his visit. Everyone knew he was coming.
The Pope will be visiting England later this year. People have known about this for months already. But do we know when anyone else on Earth will visit a particular place months or even a year in advance?
Also, we must look at the crowds. The Queen went to Ottawa for Canada Day celebrations. It is the biggest celebration of the year and tens of thousands of people always go there to celebrate. This year, when the Queen was there about 100,000 people showed up. This number of people usually show up anyway for Ottawa's Canada Day celebrations. When the Queen went to a church service, about 1500 people waited to see her.
While this is a respectable number, let's compare this to the pope when he came to Toronto in 2002. A crowd of about 850,000 people came to see Pope John Paul II that July. This was actually a low number compared to some of the crowds that come to see His Holiness.
When Pope Benedict went to Australia, 400,000 pilgrims attended, making it the largest gathering of human beings in Australia's history.
In Manilla, Philippines, the pope drew a crowd of over 5 Million people, making it one of the largest gatherings of people ever.
As you can see from the above examples, people are truly interested in what the pope has to say. He is fulfilling Christ's command to "spread the good news", and people respond to that.
The Pope will be visiting England later this year. People have known about this for months already. But do we know when anyone else on Earth will visit a particular place months or even a year in advance?
Also, we must look at the crowds. The Queen went to Ottawa for Canada Day celebrations. It is the biggest celebration of the year and tens of thousands of people always go there to celebrate. This year, when the Queen was there about 100,000 people showed up. This number of people usually show up anyway for Ottawa's Canada Day celebrations. When the Queen went to a church service, about 1500 people waited to see her.
While this is a respectable number, let's compare this to the pope when he came to Toronto in 2002. A crowd of about 850,000 people came to see Pope John Paul II that July. This was actually a low number compared to some of the crowds that come to see His Holiness.
When Pope Benedict went to Australia, 400,000 pilgrims attended, making it the largest gathering of human beings in Australia's history.
In Manilla, Philippines, the pope drew a crowd of over 5 Million people, making it one of the largest gatherings of people ever.
As you can see from the above examples, people are truly interested in what the pope has to say. He is fulfilling Christ's command to "spread the good news", and people respond to that.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Top 6 reasons Quebec is wasting resources on IVF
Quebec's health care system is currently struggling. Important surgeries are sometimes postponed for months or years because of lack of funding. For example, in 1997, in a 4-3 decision in the province, the court ruled that making someone wait for a year for hip replacement violated the patient's rights. Because of this, private health care has been allowed in some cases.
The average wait time for medical procedures in the province of Quebec is around 18.7 weeks. That's about 4 months. People often wait in misery for these procedures, which in the United States could possibly take just a week on average.
Despite the constant strain on Quebec's medical system, they are now opting to provide a completely unnecessary medical procedure at taxpayers' expense. The Quebec government wants to start paying for in-vitro fertilization. This is a big mistake and here are six reasons why:
1. It is unnecessary
In-vitro fertilization procedures are ALWAYS optional. No one's life is going to be put at risk because they cannot have an embryo implanted in their womb. Therefore is it superfluous and unnecessary for people's health.
2. Those seeking IVF can afford it
The typical candidate for in-vitro fertilization are older women who have placed their priority for a career first and now that they are established are seeking to have a child to complete the picture. I'm not saying this is always the case, but it often is. Most of the people in this category can afford to pay for this procedure, and if it's going to be legal, it should be kept private like it already is.
3. Wasting Resources
The main point of my article is that resources are being wasted on this procedure. Money is being spent on IVF when it could be used to save lives through transplants, important surgeries, etc. The budget is already very thin, and with IVF being funded wait times will only increase for life-saving procedures. I heard that a single round of IVF costs at least $10,000. I'm not sure how many rounds the government of Quebec is planning on covering, but as you can see it is rather expensive.
4. It is immoral
There are many reasons why IVF is immoral. First of all, it separates the unitive and procreative aspects of sexuality. A child is no longer conceived in the loving embrace of his parents, but in a glass petri dish of a scientist's lab. On top of this, since gay marriage is recognized in Quebec, as is sperm and ovum donation, many gay people will be availing of IVF treatments to get pregnant and taxpayers will have to support it. We will be creating so many families where children are not raised by their real parents but by intruders.
Another big issue is that usually more embryos than necessary are created. These "unnecessary" embryos are then either destroyed or used for experimentation. Embryos are human lives and must be treated with respect, not killed or experimented on.
5. IVF is Risky
We know from research that IVF is far more risky than normal pregnancy. Think about it. A man ejaculates millions upon millions of sperm and only one reaches the egg and fertilizes it. There is a reason there are so many sperm. It is to make sure only the very best reaches the egg. But how can a scientist looking through his microscope determine which is the best? He cannot. Nature has perfected the procreative process and we do not know better. That is why there are more risks for medical issues associated with IVF babies than those in the general population.
6. Adoption is a better option
There are many kids out there without a home, including in Quebec. The government should be spending its money on increasing the efficiency of the adoption process so more of these children can find good homes.
Conclusion:
Many people are living in a me-me-me frame of mind. They create an image in their head of the ideal family and go to any length to achieve it. Maybe a better idea would be to ask what God's plan is in their life and go by that.
The following article gives some good insight into the moral dilemmas of In-Vitro Fertilization:
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/medical_ethics/me0059.html
The average wait time for medical procedures in the province of Quebec is around 18.7 weeks. That's about 4 months. People often wait in misery for these procedures, which in the United States could possibly take just a week on average.
Despite the constant strain on Quebec's medical system, they are now opting to provide a completely unnecessary medical procedure at taxpayers' expense. The Quebec government wants to start paying for in-vitro fertilization. This is a big mistake and here are six reasons why:
1. It is unnecessary
In-vitro fertilization procedures are ALWAYS optional. No one's life is going to be put at risk because they cannot have an embryo implanted in their womb. Therefore is it superfluous and unnecessary for people's health.
2. Those seeking IVF can afford it
The typical candidate for in-vitro fertilization are older women who have placed their priority for a career first and now that they are established are seeking to have a child to complete the picture. I'm not saying this is always the case, but it often is. Most of the people in this category can afford to pay for this procedure, and if it's going to be legal, it should be kept private like it already is.
3. Wasting Resources
The main point of my article is that resources are being wasted on this procedure. Money is being spent on IVF when it could be used to save lives through transplants, important surgeries, etc. The budget is already very thin, and with IVF being funded wait times will only increase for life-saving procedures. I heard that a single round of IVF costs at least $10,000. I'm not sure how many rounds the government of Quebec is planning on covering, but as you can see it is rather expensive.
4. It is immoral
There are many reasons why IVF is immoral. First of all, it separates the unitive and procreative aspects of sexuality. A child is no longer conceived in the loving embrace of his parents, but in a glass petri dish of a scientist's lab. On top of this, since gay marriage is recognized in Quebec, as is sperm and ovum donation, many gay people will be availing of IVF treatments to get pregnant and taxpayers will have to support it. We will be creating so many families where children are not raised by their real parents but by intruders.
Another big issue is that usually more embryos than necessary are created. These "unnecessary" embryos are then either destroyed or used for experimentation. Embryos are human lives and must be treated with respect, not killed or experimented on.
5. IVF is Risky
We know from research that IVF is far more risky than normal pregnancy. Think about it. A man ejaculates millions upon millions of sperm and only one reaches the egg and fertilizes it. There is a reason there are so many sperm. It is to make sure only the very best reaches the egg. But how can a scientist looking through his microscope determine which is the best? He cannot. Nature has perfected the procreative process and we do not know better. That is why there are more risks for medical issues associated with IVF babies than those in the general population.
6. Adoption is a better option
There are many kids out there without a home, including in Quebec. The government should be spending its money on increasing the efficiency of the adoption process so more of these children can find good homes.
Conclusion:
Many people are living in a me-me-me frame of mind. They create an image in their head of the ideal family and go to any length to achieve it. Maybe a better idea would be to ask what God's plan is in their life and go by that.
The following article gives some good insight into the moral dilemmas of In-Vitro Fertilization:
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/medical_ethics/me0059.html
Monday, July 19, 2010
Top 5 Reasons the Reformed Church of God and David C. Pack are not the True Church
David C. Pack is the pastor of the Reformed Church of God. His teachings are very ironic and contradictory.
Upon first hearing his video, I was sure he was an advocate for the Catholic Church. His video was talking about which church is the true church of God. The Biblical proofs he uses are the same that are typically used by Catholic apologists. However, his conclusions are pretty hard to swallow or downright contradictory. Here's a list of reasons why his church's teachings are contradictory or false:
1) Jesus founded ONE Church
He says Jesus established only one church and that is has existed for 2000 years. This is true. Pack claims that Church is the Restored Church of God (RCG). Yet, it is easy to see that the RCG was founded by Mr. Pack only recently. How can this be the one true church founded by Jesus Christ? We cannot find history of people believing and practicing the same beliefs as this particular church. The pastor on the website bemoans the number of churches that have sprung up over the years. Yet, he is doing the same thing by starting this church.
2) Why is it called "Restored"?
On the one hand, David. C. Pack claims his church is 2000 years old and that it is the church that Christ founded. Well, if that's true and it has survived ever since, why is it called "restored"? Something that has not ended does not need to be restored.
3) Is the church large or small?
First, Mr. Pack says the church is supposed to be small and he gives Bible verses to prove this. But then later he says all Christians should be united in the same faith and that Jesus prayed for unity. Well if all 2 billion Christians shared the same faith, it would certainly not be small. This is a contradiction.
4) "Underground" Church Theory
Mr. Pack subscribes to a new popular theory held by many Protestants and that is of the "underground" or "hidden" church theory. Proponents of this belief say there was an original church founded by Jesus, but then in the year 325 Constantine came around and started the Catholic Church which persecuted the real church and destroyed evidence of it. This is merely a conspiracy theory. The lack of evidence for an underground church can be explained away by saying the Catholic Church destroyed the evidence. However, there are many holes in the theory. Many core Catholic beliefs, such as the eucharist, were believed right from the start. Writings such as the Didache show that early Christians adhered to them. So why don't most Protestants believe those things now?
The only thing this theory shows is that these groups recognize that in order for a church to be the true church that Christ founded it must have been around since the start. I think what Mr. Pack is presenting is an unconvincing theory that his church has always been around.
Upon first hearing his video, I was sure he was an advocate for the Catholic Church. His video was talking about which church is the true church of God. The Biblical proofs he uses are the same that are typically used by Catholic apologists. However, his conclusions are pretty hard to swallow or downright contradictory. Here's a list of reasons why his church's teachings are contradictory or false:
1) Jesus founded ONE Church
He says Jesus established only one church and that is has existed for 2000 years. This is true. Pack claims that Church is the Restored Church of God (RCG). Yet, it is easy to see that the RCG was founded by Mr. Pack only recently. How can this be the one true church founded by Jesus Christ? We cannot find history of people believing and practicing the same beliefs as this particular church. The pastor on the website bemoans the number of churches that have sprung up over the years. Yet, he is doing the same thing by starting this church.
2) Why is it called "Restored"?
On the one hand, David. C. Pack claims his church is 2000 years old and that it is the church that Christ founded. Well, if that's true and it has survived ever since, why is it called "restored"? Something that has not ended does not need to be restored.
3) Is the church large or small?
First, Mr. Pack says the church is supposed to be small and he gives Bible verses to prove this. But then later he says all Christians should be united in the same faith and that Jesus prayed for unity. Well if all 2 billion Christians shared the same faith, it would certainly not be small. This is a contradiction.
4) "Underground" Church Theory
Mr. Pack subscribes to a new popular theory held by many Protestants and that is of the "underground" or "hidden" church theory. Proponents of this belief say there was an original church founded by Jesus, but then in the year 325 Constantine came around and started the Catholic Church which persecuted the real church and destroyed evidence of it. This is merely a conspiracy theory. The lack of evidence for an underground church can be explained away by saying the Catholic Church destroyed the evidence. However, there are many holes in the theory. Many core Catholic beliefs, such as the eucharist, were believed right from the start. Writings such as the Didache show that early Christians adhered to them. So why don't most Protestants believe those things now?
The only thing this theory shows is that these groups recognize that in order for a church to be the true church that Christ founded it must have been around since the start. I think what Mr. Pack is presenting is an unconvincing theory that his church has always been around.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Mel Gibson's Rant
Mel Gibson is in trouble again with the media because of his rant to his wife Oksana Grigorieva. Most of the media is quick to jump on the condemnation bandwagon and say that Mel is just a terrible human being and stuff like that, but I want to offer a different perspective.
The words that Mel uses during the phone conversations are pretty terrible. He is extremely angry and shouts racial slurs and uses threatening language. But this is not uncommon, unfortunately. I doubt very many readers of this blog could honestly admit they've never lashed out at somebody and said some unfortunate things. Telephone can be particularly bad because you must project your anger using only words and not expressions.
What I see in the conversation is a man who has become extremely angry and is unable to control it. He lashes out and tries to find the most offensvie things to say. Many people are guilty of this. But fortunately, our conversations are not usually recorded for the world to hear.
I'm suspicious as to how this stuff even got on tape in the first place. My assumption is that Oksana either recorded it herself or had someone else do it. I think it is extremely unlikely that someone had the phone bugged and then released the conversations. Therefore her actions seem rather terrible as well. I doubt she set up a recorded to record nice things he had to say. She knew he would react improperly and she wanted to have a record of it.
I am not defending what Gibson did here, but I also have an issue with how Oksana was communicating. It seems like she is purposely trying to provoke him. She maintains this very cool, catty tone, which only provokes Mel's anger more. The things she says only inflame Gibson. The reason people lash out verbally at someone else is to hurt them. When it seems that what they are saying is having no effect, the angry person will up the ante until the other one reacts in some way.
I think if Oksana was in a real conversation, she would lash back at Mel, not sit there seeming unaffected by what he was saying, almost teasing him and provoking him even further.
Imagine this situation. You are quite angry with someone and the two of you are in an argument. You set up recording devices for your phone, then you call that person with the objective of rilling them up and provoking their anger. I can certainly imagine a situation like this erupting. To me it seems inconceivable that Oksana was not behind this recording and I believe her only motivation was to defame Mel's character.
I do not wish to minimize anything that Mel did or said during his explosive conversation, I just want to give another point of view. It seems there is some level of hypocricy when people act as though they've never been angry or said mean things to someone or that Mel is suddenly the worst person on Earth.
I also want to add that Mel Gibson has not been officially found guilty of physical abuse. I will leave that to the proper authorities. Obviously if what Oksana alleges about Mel's actions toward her in the presence of her child are true, then it becomes a much more serious issue.
I also want to add that I am not defending Mel Gibson and that if you see it as such it is not related to his religion. Some people might think I am defending Mel because he is Catholic. But the truth is, he is not in communion with the Pope and has formed a splinter group, so I wouldn't defend him on that grond anyway.
One thing we can learn about this phone conversation is how bad anger can be. Anger, like all sins, always seems unquenchable. We are never satisfied. People who get angry just get worse and worse. The anger builds until eventually violence can occur. Anger is one of the seven deadly sins.
The words that Mel uses during the phone conversations are pretty terrible. He is extremely angry and shouts racial slurs and uses threatening language. But this is not uncommon, unfortunately. I doubt very many readers of this blog could honestly admit they've never lashed out at somebody and said some unfortunate things. Telephone can be particularly bad because you must project your anger using only words and not expressions.
What I see in the conversation is a man who has become extremely angry and is unable to control it. He lashes out and tries to find the most offensvie things to say. Many people are guilty of this. But fortunately, our conversations are not usually recorded for the world to hear.
I'm suspicious as to how this stuff even got on tape in the first place. My assumption is that Oksana either recorded it herself or had someone else do it. I think it is extremely unlikely that someone had the phone bugged and then released the conversations. Therefore her actions seem rather terrible as well. I doubt she set up a recorded to record nice things he had to say. She knew he would react improperly and she wanted to have a record of it.
I am not defending what Gibson did here, but I also have an issue with how Oksana was communicating. It seems like she is purposely trying to provoke him. She maintains this very cool, catty tone, which only provokes Mel's anger more. The things she says only inflame Gibson. The reason people lash out verbally at someone else is to hurt them. When it seems that what they are saying is having no effect, the angry person will up the ante until the other one reacts in some way.
I think if Oksana was in a real conversation, she would lash back at Mel, not sit there seeming unaffected by what he was saying, almost teasing him and provoking him even further.
Imagine this situation. You are quite angry with someone and the two of you are in an argument. You set up recording devices for your phone, then you call that person with the objective of rilling them up and provoking their anger. I can certainly imagine a situation like this erupting. To me it seems inconceivable that Oksana was not behind this recording and I believe her only motivation was to defame Mel's character.
I do not wish to minimize anything that Mel did or said during his explosive conversation, I just want to give another point of view. It seems there is some level of hypocricy when people act as though they've never been angry or said mean things to someone or that Mel is suddenly the worst person on Earth.
I also want to add that Mel Gibson has not been officially found guilty of physical abuse. I will leave that to the proper authorities. Obviously if what Oksana alleges about Mel's actions toward her in the presence of her child are true, then it becomes a much more serious issue.
I also want to add that I am not defending Mel Gibson and that if you see it as such it is not related to his religion. Some people might think I am defending Mel because he is Catholic. But the truth is, he is not in communion with the Pope and has formed a splinter group, so I wouldn't defend him on that grond anyway.
One thing we can learn about this phone conversation is how bad anger can be. Anger, like all sins, always seems unquenchable. We are never satisfied. People who get angry just get worse and worse. The anger builds until eventually violence can occur. Anger is one of the seven deadly sins.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Rosary Beads are not fashion items
I was at the Mall a couple of days ago, and in one shoe store they had rosary-type beads for sale to be worn as a fashion item. They were not real rosaries because they did not have the large bead after every ten smaller beads. Rather, they were designed to look like a rosary. They had about 50 beads on a necklace, and a cross at the end.Another time, I was in a line up at a store, and near the checkout was a rosary-bead-looking object that was actually a car air freshener.
As we also know, people sometimes wear crosses as fashion symbols. As far as I know, Madonna was one of the first people to wear a rosary as a fashion item. Other celebrities have taken her lead.
Sometimes people may do this in good faith. Perhaps they are indicating they are Christian or Catholic. Maybe they want jewelry that reflects a religious theme, a best of both worlds scenario. However, I believe the majority of people who wear these rosary bead accessories are not doing it for those reasons.
I believe it is inappropriate to use a religious item as a fashion accessory, because it is not the intended use and takes something holy and uses it for a personal motive such as vanity. A rosary is meant to draw a person closer to God, but fashion is meant to attract people to the wearer. Therefore, the rosary as fashion is being misused.
I want to point out however that some religious people have been known to wear actual, blessed rosary beads around their neck. I would recommend against it, even if the intension is to display adherence to the faith, because it is not being done appropriately.
Also, I want to point out that even this inappropriate use of rosary beads could potentially yield good results. People may wonder the original of the beads and decide to investigate further and in doing so discover the prayers of the rosary.
Finally, if you are still wondering why rosary beads cannot be used as fashion items, I ask you to consider replacing it with another religious item. For example, wearing a yarmulke to cover a bald spot, or using a tallit (Jewish shall) as a skirt. These would seem outlandish to most. So should using a rosary as jewelry.
If you are interested in praying the rosary and would like a one page pdf describing the rosary, please go here.
P.S. Just as I was inserting the picture into this article, the Rosary with Mother Angelica came on EWTN!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
NBC jumps on gay marriage bandwagon
NBC wants to do its part to normalize gay marriage. In its annual marriage show on the Today Show, it will for the first time feature gay couples who are marrying. It's a major faux-pas to only show men and women marrying. Of course, they probably won't just open it to gay couples, but will make sure at least one gay couple is represented, even if 10,000 heterosexual copules apply and only one gay couple does. Because it's not enough to open it to everyone, the network must proactively push an agenda.
Check out the full story here.
Check out the full story here.
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