Pillars of Western culture - are they Catholic?

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Christphr

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Does the Catholic Church share the modern West’s enshrinement of reason, freedom, individualism?

Is the Church essentially and uncritically “Western” in it’s ways?
 
It does, but the difference is that the Church and the West have very different ideas on what reason, freedom, and individualism are.
 
Reason, with faith, yes.

Freedom to do what one ought to do, rather than whatever one wants to do, yes.

Individuals having their own dignity and worth, who are also part of a society towards which they have certain rights and duties, (and, in return, the society has certain rights and duties toward the individual), yes.
 
Enshrinement? No. Appreciation? Yes.

Reason is good. However, rationalism, in which everything can be reasoned, is bad.
Freedom is good. However, license is bad.
Individuality is good. However, selfishness and pride are bad.

If I understand you question right, the Church does not accept the modern western philosophies of humanism, modernism and relativism.
 
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Christphr said:
Is the Church essentially and uncritically “Western” in it’s ways?
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No, I think you’re putting the cart before the horse.

It would be right to say that the west is Christian in its ways. Albeit on an imperfect basis of Christianity.
 
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Ii think that the WORST thing about Westernism is the
secular culture it has become, due to the “God is dead”
concept of the 1960’s(?) It has become works w/o faith,
which also is DEAD.
 
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The phrase “God is dead” was coined, I believe, by Nietzsche in the early part of the 20th century. I can’t remember exactly when, but it was before the Nazis. They liked his Übermensch and ironically, he despised them for abusing his philosophy.
 
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