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CruceSignati
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To what extent can we know truth in life (i.e., in cases of law, education, philosophy)? Can we really know what is true in all cases? Why?
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GEddie
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Hortenzie
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Our own experiences in life show us that all of us are very fallible…
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Boulder257
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I would like to think that at least sometimes we can determine absolute truth about something. However, we are always looking at something through our eyes and our mind. That, in itself, could distort truth.
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Blue_Horizon
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Please explain your understanding/definition of what “truth” is in this context.
Otherwise we will get into the usuall fights to the death over things we all misunderstand of each other.
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CruceSignati
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I mean truth about God and His commandments; can we know for certain that God exists, how do we know that His commandments are the truth, can we completely know whether or not they are the truth. I completely trust in God, but I can’t put my thoughts properly into words to respond to my classmate, so thats where I need help.
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Blue_Horizon
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OK.I mean truth about God and His commandments; can we know for certain that God exists, how do we know that His commandments are the truth, can we completely know whether or not they are the truth. I completely trust in God, but I can’t put my thoughts properly into words to respond to my classmate, so thats where I need help.
The Catholic Church teaches that the existence of “God” can be known by reason alone reflecting on creation. Traditionally there are 5 arguments (Aquinas) but they are pretty heavy (and many modern philosophers diasagree) and that is not really the point.
For myself I find it hard to believe that a mechanical wristwatch washed up on the beach was accidentally made by blind forces of nature itself. I believe in an intelligent and personal Designer. I identify that person with the Christian God of the Hebrew people in the Christian Bible.
The Church also teaches that the Commandments involving natural man (ie the last 7 commandments) express dictates of objective “Natural Law.” “Natural Law” refers to the 'rules" human beings can all theoretically find in nature/creation simply by reflecting on our own experiences and using reason.
Now that is the ideal. In fact of course all humans are limited in their use of reason for a whole variety of causes. The major causes are upbringing (culture, religion,bad scoiety, bad example, bad teaching), constitution (not everybody is born brainy) and sinfulness (if we do not have a pure heart we cannot see clearly).
This is why the Church also teaches the importance of “Revelation” (ie Religion). Revelation is God’s help to humankind in learning about Him and Ourselves and what we do to remain in his friendship and also be true to our own natures and so we all be as happy as is possible in both our personal and societal lives.
The greatest reveal-ing that God gave us is the person of Jesus and his teaching.
That is what the Church attempts to pass on without change or alteration.
Of course even that is muddied. How do we know which is the most faith-ful relgion, the most faithful Church?
In the end we don’t know except by using our own reason/conscience to “test the waters” as it were when it comes to decide who or what to believe in.
Yes its a work-in-progress and it doesn’t stop just because one has officially chosen a Church.
In the long run it doesn’t really matter whether we are actually in the “most faithful Church” or not so long as we follow the lights God gives us with a pure heart regardless of the cost.
You do not need to convert your classmates - simply witness to the truth as you sincerely try to follow it. In the end it is not maths but faith so you cannot expect others from different environments to get it or agree with your position. If they are true friends they should respect that you are searching and this is your best position as you see it at the moment.
Likewise your classmates should not be trying to agressively convert you. If they do that is often a sign of insecurity on their part (if people don’t conform with us then that makes us feel uncomfortable) or a love of power (which isn’t exactly Christian)…which is another form of insecurity.
Providing an explanation for the faith one hold’s is an ancient definition of “Apologetics” - which is exactly what you seem to be talking about here.
Good luck.
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Charlemagne_III
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Yes, I believe we can know some things with absolute certainty. For example: “I think; therefore I am” as Descartes put it.
I also think the view that nothing is certain is a tautology, because then the view that nothing is certain would also not be certain.
Where I think we are most vulnerable in this matter is the temptation to believe that because we are so often wrong in our judgments, maybe we should just take the view that none of our judgments are certain. This is a fatal flaw in logic, as pointed out above.
Why are some of our judgments flawed? Sometimes it is because we have been deceived by others, or by ourselves, into believing something that’s right is wrong, or something that’s wrong is right. Usually there is a motive for doing this that is rooted in the will … the desire to justify wrong actions or to demean right actions even though deep inside ourselves we know we are engaging in an act of deception. The serpent persuaded Eve that something wrong was really right. All she really needed was to be deceived. She gladly took the bait. Then all Adam needed was to take the same bait and plunge us all into darkness.
I also think the view that nothing is certain is a tautology, because then the view that nothing is certain would also not be certain.
Where I think we are most vulnerable in this matter is the temptation to believe that because we are so often wrong in our judgments, maybe we should just take the view that none of our judgments are certain. This is a fatal flaw in logic, as pointed out above.
Why are some of our judgments flawed? Sometimes it is because we have been deceived by others, or by ourselves, into believing something that’s right is wrong, or something that’s wrong is right. Usually there is a motive for doing this that is rooted in the will … the desire to justify wrong actions or to demean right actions even though deep inside ourselves we know we are engaging in an act of deception. The serpent persuaded Eve that something wrong was really right. All she really needed was to be deceived. She gladly took the bait. Then all Adam needed was to take the same bait and plunge us all into darkness.
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CruceSignati
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Thank you Blue Horizon. That is just what I was looking for. God bless you!
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