Chris's talk on relativism gives us a strong, straightforward argument. He says that relativism is a pointless philosophy and that is takes away the whole meaning of life. He used many examples to back himself up including the statement that relativism is, boiled down: its true for everybody that nothing is true for everybody. This is the most contradictory sentence I've ever seen in my life. If relativism can't even fully explain itself in the most simple manner, how can it be plausible? Chris also had some string points when he asked questions that relativism couldn't answer. Jesus was a historical person. Is he God or is he crazy? Is Jesus a man and actual being that you come to know, or is he a projection from your brain that you make up? Relativists say Jesus is God for you but not someone els, and we know that the projection from your brain is not true faith. Relativism is breaking down faith in a terrible way. This can be related to the essay from last week. Harry Frankfurt seemed to have plenty of information backing up his view of the difference between bullshit and lies. Were they fact or were they just strong, well thought out opinions? I'm still not sure. Clearly, we all had different opinions on the last blog, so who was right and who was wrong? We each gave supporting examples of why we thought we were right. I can see the reason relativism is pointless in the view of faith and religion, but I'm somewhat confused on applying it to something like this essay. Modern society is riddled with relativism. Both men and women are constantly being told that wearing a certain name brand is the right thing to do and if you don't, you are less of a person. The way modern celebrities act recklessly is rubbing off on young children, making them think that is the only way to act. In our faith, we are badgered by relativism. People say Jesus can be God to you but not for me. Like Chris said in his talk, Jesus was a historical person. Was he crazy or was he who he claimed to be. The talk from Chris clarified the issue with faith and relativism for me. P.S. He said he is friends with Jason Evert! We know him! 😂
Your observation about relativism is some A+ material right there if I do say so myself. I like how you incorporated the "values" celebrities instill onto the youth. Keep up the good work!
Chris Stephanic's speech on relativism was well spoken, but had a few issues. His description of relativism and its "meaninglessness" were well spoken for the most part. He made a great pint when he made the analogy to basic arithmetic, saying that 2+2=4 for everyone because any other outcome could be disproven by the scientific method. Which is true. His central argument was that morals and similar truths can't be governed by relativism and the concept of relativism is meaningless and has essentially no place in society. This ties in well to the blog from the previous week, with the topic of bullshit. I stated last time how religious organizations and hate groups have utilized it in their speech to use their audience as puppets and convince them that heir bullshit is lawful truth. In reality, it's a belief that can't be proven by means of the scientific method. Religious organizations have a central sense that their teachings are the right teachings. This is factual, if it weren't, we wouldn't have missionaries pspreading these messages to countries who already have a native faith. However, I digress. Stephanic is no exception to the use of bullshit to strengthen his speech. As a relativist, I know that my morals and beliefs cannot be governed by a supernatural being, deity, or politician. Ultimately, relativism can simply be related to common sense in the sense that sometimes we just have to know right no wrong for ourselves. One of the best examples of this use is LGBTQ rights and the viewpoints of the Church. I personally believe they should have all the rights in the world, ranging from marriage to use of whatever bathroom their assigned gender allows for. However, the Catholic Church and other followers of God have led to protests of the nationwide marriage law for homosexuals and the creation of a "Bathroom Law" in the south. They believe these things are wrong because this ancient book known as the Bible tells them it's wrong, and nobody can disprove the Bible. As stated preiviously, I am a relativist, and I kmow morals and similar teachings are not definite because everyone comes from a different background. The basic moral that everyone should have is respect for one another. Unfortunately, this isn't considered "factual,"which is heartbreaking. Respect is subjective, which hurts. The central pint of my argument is that relativism is not meaningless. It causes us to question our morals and beliefs, leading to a stronger ability to learn. If we limit ourselves to the teaching of a deity or other higher power, we don't think for ourselves. We become puppets. Faith doesn't always have the answers for what is right and wrong. When this happens, we just have to use common sense. Common sense and relativism are very close, in my opinion. They should not be separated, or we risk falling into the state of my puppet theory. We have the ability to think outside the box and question our reality, I suggest we use that gift.
Nick I agree with your opinion on how we all have the ability to think outside the box and question what is our reality. One thing I think you may should have mentioned is that not all christians think of leading protests to not allowing homosexuals from marrying, because there are those extremists who would follow most every word the Bible teaches and those who still follow God but would like homosexuals to marry and be happy in their lives. This essay however is still well written good work :3!
When you say common sense and relativism are very close, I can't help but disagree. I can't help but think of the example of 9/11 Chris used. Why didn't those people flying the planes have the common sense to realize they were killing thousands of people in vain or no real reason? Just because they thought that was the right thing to do, does that make it right?
We used the same 2+2=4 example😁 Even so I have to disagree with your argument. I believe in God and I love my faith so maybe it isn't fair that I am disagreeing with your argument. I do in fact think that relativism is complete bs and that there is only one truth. I believe that without this truth people will slowly become unhappy. However, you did a great job stating why you believe what you believe!
Nick, I like how you added some wood to the fire. It was about to die out to be honest. But, you forgot one fact: common sense isn't that common. Anyway good job!
This podcast on relativism changed my view point on certain things in life today. The world is full of many different kinds of people and I think we all know that very well. As well as many different personalities is the many different names to describe each person in certain details. One word that isn't often argued but is often used is the word relativism. Chris gave a generous description of the word by saying that the word means "the doctrine that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context, and are not absolute." This simply means that there is truth in our society, culture, and historical context, however there is also no truth in these preciously mentioned topics. This can be very confusing because of the definition that contradicts itself. The very mention of this word can cause much controversy in the topic of religion. Most relativists question the existence of God that some people believe in with their whole heart such as christians. They question the very idea that God came down in human form and was also divine at the same time. The main belief of our shared religion is that God came down from heaven and taught us about the saving Father and our salvation and gave us the ultimate gift of dying on the cross for our sins. This is no question in our faith and I believe this wholeheartedly however, I also believe that there is fact in science being as I would love to go for science as my major in college. That also doesn't stray me away from my faith, I believe in both realities and that there can be much controversy when it comes to science and religion meeting each other. I will always remain true to my faith while remaining true to the facts and not losing my grip on reality or the facts of this world.
Like Bobbi, you analayzed the contradictions very well and we're able to analyze the faith in an intellectual manner. I also like your support coexistence of the two beliefs rather than choosing a side, much like the rest of us might have.
Your understandings of the piece were very clear and easily pointed out. I like your statement about your wantings to major in science. In today's world especially, science is taking over people's beliefs in faith and distorting the actus, full truth. It's good that you will not let the science discoveries you learn mettle with your faith. It's very important!!
One of my favorite ways to learn about the Catholic faith is listening to talks. I was pleased to read that this weekends blog was to listen to a Catholic talk on relativism. Chris Stefanick, the speaker, was arguing the meaning behind relativism, and that truth is key to straying away from relativism. Chris stated in his talk the misconceptions behind truth. Truth has been thought to be something that can be proven by science or an idea that can be fully understood. Everything else that doesn't meet this standard has been referred to as relativism. Relativism is one's own opinion or belief about how to live, religion, right and wrong, feelings, and many more. With relativism there is no definite truth about life other than what science has proven. Before listening to the talk I didn't think I had ever heard of relativism, but as I continued to listen, I realized that I have heard of relativism just used in different words. As teenager in the 21st century, the statements, "If what your doing feels good than it's okay," or "If you think your doing the right thing," have been over used to teach my generation between right and wrong. These statements lack certainty and solidarity which is why they perfect are examples of relativism. With these statements in mind, I know that I am being affected by relativism everyday. When I go on social media I see teenagers and famous icons posting whatever they want because they think it's okay. These nonmoral posts can persuade other's into thinking it is okay. The more one is exposed to these nonmoral actions and opinions, the more it becomes normal or accepted. Relativism can also be compared to the essay "On Bullshit". Relativism and bullshit share many similar qualities. The biggest similarity between the two is that they both lack truth. As Frankfurt stated in his essay, "Bs is just this lack of connection to a concern with truth." This definition can also refer to relativism. Relativism and bs are both used to dance around the facts, and they don't have any definite answers. Therefore, the talk and essay can most definitely be tied together. The final and most important piece of Chris's talk was the actual meaning of truth. He made it clear that truth is not always something that can be proven by science or experiments, but can be proven by faith and trust. As it states in John 14:6, "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way and the truth and the life.'" This faith in the Truth is what leads us to the certainty of life, love, and happiness.
I was also excited to listen to this blog! I couldn't listen to the whole thing because there was an error so I went crazy and found Chris talking about relativism on YouTube! I love that you made connections not only in your life but in all the lives of teenagers.
We both used the example of social media and how it affects teens especially. I loved that you quoted the Bible because I think it gave more solidarity to your argument. Great job.
I really liked your connections to modern relativism and how it affects us teenagers. Ending your blog with the relatable Bible quote was a clever way to show Bible evidence to the topic of faith and trust.
After listening to Chris talk about relativism and truth I have opened my mind to certain things and closed it to others. In the beginning of Chris' speech he uses his children as an example of open mindness and what we should be open minded to. He also uses his children in an example of what we should be close minded to, the truth. Some people may ask, what is truth? Is it possible that you have your truth and I have mine? This ties into relativism which can be defined as no reality, or facts, outside of what each person thinks. Chris argues that this is wrong in so many different ways. He states that no one in the right mind set would say 2+2=4 for me but it equals 5 for you and that's ok! He argues that in a state of relativism everything is an opinion. The way we live and the way we look at God should never be looked at in different ways! Relativism takes the meaning out of life because people start thinking that they have to make up the meaning of life for themselves. What we need to do is not make up our own reality but discover the one that has already been created. Finding the true meaning of life and of God will give us truth. Chris' talk relates a lot the the essay on bs that I read last weekend because relativism is in a way bs and lying! Not everyone believes in the same things but when you push and push someone into believing something you know isn't the truth, that is bs and that is relativism. You can find relativism in everyday life. For example, people might say volleyball is life or snowboarding is life but the truth is God should be life. God should always be the center and most of the time high school students and even adults do not make God the center of truth
I like how you said the way we look at God shouldn't be looked at in different ways. I remember our freshman year of theology, SJP told us we couldn't pick and chose what we believe in. I think you hit that point, maybe without even knowing it. Good job on explaining you understanding of the podcast. It was a good read.
Great job!! I really enjoyed how you gave examples that we can all relate to. You also did a very good job in explaining the important parts Chris went over in his talk. Nice work!
I had just come home from church when I decided to buckle down and do this blog. The sermon at church was titled "Be Prepared for Motion Sickness". My pastor, Bryan, began the message telling the congregation how, as a kid, he had terrible motion sickness. Whether it be in a car, plane, train, or any other mode of transportation, he always would get sick. To help clarify what exactly motion sickness was for those of us who don't experience it, he defined motion sickness as "conflict between reality (truth) and the perception of what isn't true. Then then went on to tell us while there is motion sickness from modes of transportation, many people today are experiencing spiritual motion sickness, or the difficulty distinguishing between right and wrong, good and bad. Little did I know that what Pastor Bryan was speaking about was relativism. I had never heard the term relativism, and before this podcast I didn't know this was a term that unfortunately has been shaping our generation by the masses. As Pope John Paul II said and Chris quoted, "Relativism is the greatest problem of our time." Chris taught me that it 1.) takes the meaning out of life, 2.) makes morality a matter of personal preference, 3.) makes us easy to manipulate and 4.) takes the meaning out of faith. A relativist would be quick to deny all of these by saying relativism makes one free. As I listened, I learned that relativism enslaves not only the relativist, but also those he or she tries to push the belief on. See, relativism is the belief that what works for you may not work for me, but that's okay because everyone is entitled to his or her own belief. This can't be true and Chris tells why. 1.) it's denies our finite nature, 2.) it doesn't work in the real world, and 3.) it's self contradicting propaganda. Chris's main argument was about defining the truth. There is only one truth and I isn't different for everyone. He used many examples such as 9/11, WWII, and Hitler. If the truth was different for each person, each of the actions committed for each case could be justified. This ties into last weeks blog about defining truth. Today's culture believes in a lot of bullshit. For me, I've learned that relativism affects me in the way I've come to accept certain issues. Without even realizing it, I've grown accustomed to some of the bullshit I hear in the media. This is dangerous because as Christians it's our job to defend the truth. As Christian's we have to stand up against relativism.
I really enjoyed your rendition to the podcast to your pastors sermon. It gave me another opportunity to view the piece in a different standpoint, but explained the same information as I did. I don't find one thing I disagree with, well done. -ps I feel the same way about the media's bullshit...SAME!
In the in the beginning of Chris's talk he states that relativism is the philosophy that truth is relative to what a person thinks. Throughout his talk he then argues how relativism is eroding the foundation of society. Chris even threw in the fact that the Pope also said relativism is the biggest problem in daily lives. He then argued how relativism is not a good thing, using many examples such as 2+2=4 based on science and the problem can never be 2+2=5 for another person. He states that if something isn't scientifically stated or proven, it's then just labeled as relativism. Examples of things labeled as relativism that everyone should think of similarly are life and faith. In the talk, Chris points out a lot of facts that show that relativism takes away the meaning of life and faith. Everybody sees life in a different way and one point he made is about teenagers and how a survey was done and it was found that 13% of teenagers had thought about suicide, and 8% tried it. It's most likely true that those 13% of teenagers had a bad outlook on life based on what other people had told them and even the influences they had in their life. An example of relativism in faith is people thinking that fornication is okay. Fornication is sexual intercourse between unmarried couples. According to church teachings that isn't okay, but because of what people think and tell others, most people think it is okay. This talk can relate to the essay we read last week because both Chris and Harry had one central argument and many factual statements to back it up. But in a way relativism is bullshit because relativism is a persons opinion on something which may or may not be true. That ties in with the definition of bullshit which Harry defined as something that isn't true but isn't quite a lie at the same time. Relativism affects me because a lot of what I think might be arguable to what someone else thinks. For example I may think the school raising the honors requirements was a good thing but others might disagree. I also think relativism is a good thing in some ways because it makes us all think differently about different topics and that can cause some controversy, which isn't always a bad thing. If everyone thought about everything the exact same way, life would be plain and boring. So although I can argue that relativism can be bad, I can also argue that it can be good.
Nice job Brandi!! You hit all of the main points for the blog, and I really enjoyed the survey you added from the talk. Try to use less vague words such as it, he, them, etc. Overall, well done!:)
For reading and listening is a major way we become aware of something, and listening to the podcast by Chris Stefanick has made me familiar of a topic I was not informed of within the Catholic faith. Every time I scroll through my feed on Facebook, I always make it a point to watch videos (mostly of Fr. Mike Schmitz) about God and our Catholic faith because it's one way I can learn more about my faith. So listening to another individuals input about what's happening in the Catholic faith will always intrigue me. Taken directly from Merriam Webster dictionary, relativism is said to be the ability to retrieve material that satisfies the needs of the user. According to Chris Stefanick, relativism conforms to reality and deprives people of the true meaning of what life is suppose to be. He gave the easy to understand terminology that our minds are like our mouth. Our mind opens for things to enter then closes on them. Having an open mind approach is good, but it's also important to close the mind of certain things. He continued to say, we can eat food without closing our mouth right? We have to open and close our mouth for the food, or the information in our minds sense, to enter correctly. Relativism is what you see on a bumper sticker saying "Volleyball is life" when in all actuality, God is life. It inserts our own personally created meaning into life in which it should be faith. There is no sure path of it, you kinda just "shoot from the hip" and what ever happens, happens and you can't control it. Continuing, it makes morality a sense of personal taste and takes what morals we have left into the false notion of reliability. He exclaimed the conversation President Obama once had with an individual who asked him this question, "What is sin?". His answer was simply, "being out of align with my values." Now on what level does this come from a faithful aspect?? Zero! We are teaching our children values instead virtues, and what feels wrong to THEM is what's wrong. Parents aren't taking the time to distinguish to their children the difference between right and wrong, good and bad. We are telling ourselves that what we and society think is right is right and not what God and our faith knows what's right. There's a difference between relativism and God, and that is thinking versus knowing. With God, we know His intention and that He is a real, historical person of our time. If our rights don't come from God, than where in the world do they come from? He states one form of realization for myself, and I hope for others as well. If we don't recognize God as an actual person, how can we have a relationship with Him? We go to Church on Sunday's and go through all the motions; sit, stand, kneel, shake hands and say the occasional response, "Amen." We consider ourselves Catholic because we go to Mass every week, but God says that's not enough. Having true faith is not going through the motions. Having faith means living as a child of God, spreading the good news proclaimed in scripture, and being Christ-like. When I say, this don't go trying to cure the blind by rubbing mud on their face. I don't recommend this because you will probably end up getting punched, but rather acting with hospitality, generosity, forgiveness, and compassion as Jesus had for everyone, friend or enemy. Relativism is destroying our faith little by little. We are not God and God doesn't think He's you, God created the final truth, don't go recreating some rendition of what you call truth *cough cough...relativism*. Long story short, relativism is not only killing our virtues and faith, but it's decreasing our chances for a happy, eternal future; heaven with our Heavenly Father.
Chris Stefanick's argument is that relativism is wrong. He says it's the greatest problem of our generation and I'd have to agree. Relativism is the idea that morality is built up inside everyone, and everyone has different ideas of morality. If other words (as Mr. Stefanick so elegantly puts it) relativism is "truth for everyone that nothing is true for everyone." A person who doesn't live for the meaning of life lives for everything else such as volleyball. They are deprived from purpose. He also explains how people only "go one inch deep, 10 miles wide," which means they only scratch the surface and don't dig any deeper. Lastly, he explains how relativism makes morality personal, and where, if there is no absolute truth, does everybody's morality compass point to. His reasoning is that it defies finite nature and it does not work in real life. Relativism is torn apart when in practice. An example is when a person starts killing another because they dislike how the person talked. A person following relativism would try to justify the incident by saying "oh he thought...." Such an argument does nothing good for society. We have to judge other people's actions to strive for a better society. Mr. Stefanick's views can be tied to the same philosophy of "bullshit," via the ideas of morality. Those who are bullshitters do not care much about what is the truth or what is wrong. They only care about what is good to themselves. Going back to relativism, those who follow such an thought do not have concrete ideas of mortality either. Both bullshitting and relativism live on personal feelings and do not justify acts. They are not exactly the same idea, but they would "grow on the same tree branch." Relativism is affecting me because of higher authorities. Those who are in a position of power, such as the president, could make wrong moral choices based on the principles of relativity. Those wrong choices are turned into legislation and laws, which later affect not only me, but everyone else
"There is no silence anymore," argues Chris Stefanick. Relativism is the belief that there is no definete truth, but rather that everyone has their own truths. This would be mean that no one is ever wrong neither morally nor ethically. Chris, as his argument, agrees with Pope Benedict XVI, who says that relativism is the biggest problem we face today. In relativism, the meaning of freedom is misconstrued totally. Relativists believe that freedom has no boundaries, and therefore people can do/say whatever they want without consequences. Under this belief, 9/11, the Holocost, and other terroristic acts are okay because in not saying so, you are not allowing them to be free. This relates to the essay we read last week on bullshit because people that bullshit are trying to persuade others to see their truth. They want others to believe their truth is the definete truth, which is worse than relativism alone. The only solution is to teach more people what the concrete truth is, Jesus, and encourage them to share it. We should, as Christians, feel a responsibility to educate others on this issue and not just be silent. The result of silence, from those we are not relativists, abortion, gener changing, and other sinful acts and even being encouraged. Chris quoted, " All that has to happen for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing." Often, speaking up about this issues is seen as intolerance or hate. Sharing the truth, fighting for it, is love. The activists for truth love other people and God so much that they want them to know what is right and do it. This is relevant to me because, as a conservative, I am often told that I am full of hate or intolerant. I know that I am not, especially through reading this. Rather, I am full of love and willingness to fight for the truth. This podcast has encouraged me to continue to speak up about the issues, especially because of this upcoming election.
Chris's talk on relativism gives us a strong, straightforward argument. He says that relativism is a pointless philosophy and that is takes away the whole meaning of life. He used many examples to back himself up including the statement that relativism is, boiled down: its true for everybody that nothing is true for everybody. This is the most contradictory sentence I've ever seen in my life. If relativism can't even fully explain itself in the most simple manner, how can it be plausible? Chris also had some string points when he asked questions that relativism couldn't answer. Jesus was a historical person. Is he God or is he crazy? Is Jesus a man and actual being that you come to know, or is he a projection from your brain that you make up? Relativists say Jesus is God for you but not someone els, and we know that the projection from your brain is not true faith. Relativism is breaking down faith in a terrible way.
ReplyDeleteThis can be related to the essay from last week. Harry Frankfurt seemed to have plenty of information backing up his view of the difference between bullshit and lies. Were they fact or were they just strong, well thought out opinions? I'm still not sure. Clearly, we all had different opinions on the last blog, so who was right and who was wrong? We each gave supporting examples of why we thought we were right. I can see the reason relativism is pointless in the view of faith and religion, but I'm somewhat confused on applying it to something like this essay.
Modern society is riddled with relativism. Both men and women are constantly being told that wearing a certain name brand is the right thing to do and if you don't, you are less of a person. The way modern celebrities act recklessly is rubbing off on young children, making them think that is the only way to act. In our faith, we are badgered by relativism. People say Jesus can be God to you but not for me. Like Chris said in his talk, Jesus was a historical person. Was he crazy or was he who he claimed to be. The talk from Chris clarified the issue with faith and relativism for me.
P.S. He said he is friends with Jason Evert! We know him! 😂
I agree with your point of asking the questions a relativist would about Jesus! I loved reading your essay good work!
DeleteI like how you analyzed his contradictory statements and were able to question what he said rather than assume he knows everything. Very well written.
DeleteYour observation about relativism is some A+ material right there if I do say so myself. I like how you incorporated the "values" celebrities instill onto the youth. Keep up the good work!
DeleteChris Stephanic's speech on relativism was well spoken, but had a few issues. His description of relativism and its "meaninglessness" were well spoken for the most part. He made a great pint when he made the analogy to basic arithmetic, saying that 2+2=4 for everyone because any other outcome could be disproven by the scientific method. Which is true. His central argument was that morals and similar truths can't be governed by relativism and the concept of relativism is meaningless and has essentially no place in society. This ties in well to the blog from the previous week, with the topic of bullshit. I stated last time how religious organizations and hate groups have utilized it in their speech to use their audience as puppets and convince them that heir bullshit is lawful truth. In reality, it's a belief that can't be proven by means of the scientific method. Religious organizations have a central sense that their teachings are the right teachings. This is factual, if it weren't, we wouldn't have missionaries pspreading these messages to countries who already have a native faith. However, I digress. Stephanic is no exception to the use of bullshit to strengthen his speech. As a relativist, I know that my morals and beliefs cannot be governed by a supernatural being, deity, or politician. Ultimately, relativism can simply be related to common sense in the sense that sometimes we just have to know right no wrong for ourselves. One of the best examples of this use is LGBTQ rights and the viewpoints of the Church. I personally believe they should have all the rights in the world, ranging from marriage to use of whatever bathroom their assigned gender allows for. However, the Catholic Church and other followers of God have led to protests of the nationwide marriage law for homosexuals and the creation of a "Bathroom Law" in the south. They believe these things are wrong because this ancient book known as the Bible tells them it's wrong, and nobody can disprove the Bible.
ReplyDeleteAs stated preiviously, I am a relativist, and I kmow morals and similar teachings are not definite because everyone comes from a different background. The basic moral that everyone should have is respect for one another. Unfortunately, this isn't considered "factual,"which is heartbreaking. Respect is subjective, which hurts. The central pint of my argument is that relativism is not meaningless. It causes us to question our morals and beliefs, leading to a stronger ability to learn. If we limit ourselves to the teaching of a deity or other higher power, we don't think for ourselves. We become puppets. Faith doesn't always have the answers for what is right and wrong. When this happens, we just have to use common sense. Common sense and relativism are very close, in my opinion. They should not be separated, or we risk falling into the state of my puppet theory. We have the ability to think outside the box and question our reality, I suggest we use that gift.
Nick I agree with your opinion on how we all have the ability to think outside the box and question what is our reality. One thing I think you may should have mentioned is that not all christians think of leading protests to not allowing homosexuals from marrying, because there are those extremists who would follow most every word the Bible teaches and those who still follow God but would like homosexuals to marry and be happy in their lives. This essay however is still well written good work :3!
DeleteWhen you say common sense and relativism are very close, I can't help but disagree. I can't help but think of the example of 9/11 Chris used. Why didn't those people flying the planes have the common sense to realize they were killing thousands of people in vain or no real reason? Just because they thought that was the right thing to do, does that make it right?
DeleteWe used the same 2+2=4 example😁 Even so I have to disagree with your argument. I believe in God and I love my faith so maybe it isn't fair that I am disagreeing with your argument. I do in fact think that relativism is complete bs and that there is only one truth. I believe that without this truth people will slowly become unhappy. However, you did a great job stating why you believe what you believe!
DeleteNick, I like how you added some wood to the fire. It was about to die out to be honest. But, you forgot one fact: common sense isn't that common. Anyway good job!
DeleteI enjoyed reading your blog and loved how you threw in the example about the LGBTQ, that was different from others.
DeleteThis podcast on relativism changed my view point on certain things in life today. The world is full of many different kinds of people and I think we all know that very well. As well as many different personalities is the many different names to describe each person in certain details. One word that isn't often argued but is often used is the word relativism. Chris gave a generous description of the word by saying that the word means "the doctrine that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context, and are not absolute." This simply means that there is truth in our society, culture, and historical context, however there is also no truth in these preciously mentioned topics. This can be very confusing because of the definition that contradicts itself. The very mention of this word can cause much controversy in the topic of religion. Most relativists question the existence of God that some people believe in with their whole heart such as christians. They question the very idea that God came down in human form and was also divine at the same time. The main belief of our shared religion is that God came down from heaven and taught us about the saving Father and our salvation and gave us the ultimate gift of dying on the cross for our sins. This is no question in our faith and I believe this wholeheartedly however, I also believe that there is fact in science being as I would love to go for science as my major in college. That also doesn't stray me away from my faith, I believe in both realities and that there can be much controversy when it comes to science and religion meeting each other. I will always remain true to my faith while remaining true to the facts and not losing my grip on reality or the facts of this world.
ReplyDeleteLike Bobbi, you analayzed the contradictions very well and we're able to analyze the faith in an intellectual manner. I also like your support coexistence of the two beliefs rather than choosing a side, much like the rest of us might have.
DeleteYour understandings of the piece were very clear and easily pointed out. I like your statement about your wantings to major in science. In today's world especially, science is taking over people's beliefs in faith and distorting the actus, full truth. It's good that you will not let the science discoveries you learn mettle with your faith. It's very important!!
DeleteOne of my favorite ways to learn about the Catholic faith is listening to talks. I was pleased to read that this weekends blog was to listen to a Catholic talk on relativism. Chris Stefanick, the speaker, was arguing the meaning behind relativism, and that truth is key to straying away from relativism. Chris stated in his talk the misconceptions behind truth. Truth has been thought to be something that can be proven by science or an idea that can be fully understood. Everything else that doesn't meet this standard has been referred to as relativism. Relativism is one's own opinion or belief about how to live, religion, right and wrong, feelings, and many more. With relativism there is no definite truth about life other than what science has proven.
ReplyDeleteBefore listening to the talk I didn't think I had ever heard of relativism, but as I continued to listen, I realized that I have heard of relativism just used in different words. As teenager in the 21st century, the statements, "If what your doing feels good than it's okay," or "If you think your doing the right thing," have been over used to teach my generation between right and wrong. These statements lack certainty and solidarity which is why they perfect are examples of relativism. With these statements in mind, I know that I am being affected by relativism everyday. When I go on social media I see teenagers and famous icons posting whatever they want because they think it's okay. These nonmoral posts can persuade other's into thinking it is okay. The more one is exposed to these nonmoral actions and opinions, the more it becomes normal or accepted.
Relativism can also be compared to the essay "On Bullshit". Relativism and bullshit share many similar qualities. The biggest similarity between the two is that they both lack truth. As Frankfurt stated in his essay, "Bs is just this lack of connection to a concern with truth." This definition can also refer to relativism. Relativism and bs are both used to dance around the facts, and they don't have any definite answers. Therefore, the talk and essay can most definitely be tied together.
The final and most important piece of Chris's talk was the actual meaning of truth. He made it clear that truth is not always something that can be proven by science or experiments, but can be proven by faith and trust. As it states in John 14:6, "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way and the truth and the life.'" This faith in the Truth is what leads us to the certainty of life, love, and happiness.
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DeleteI was also excited to listen to this blog! I couldn't listen to the whole thing because there was an error so I went crazy and found Chris talking about relativism on YouTube! I love that you made connections not only in your life but in all the lives of teenagers.
DeleteWe both used the example of social media and how it affects teens especially. I loved that you quoted the Bible because I think it gave more solidarity to your argument. Great job.
DeleteI really liked your connections to modern relativism and how it affects us teenagers. Ending your blog with the relatable Bible quote was a clever way to show Bible evidence to the topic of faith and trust.
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to Chris talk about relativism and truth I have opened my mind to certain things and closed it to others. In the beginning of Chris' speech he uses his children as an example of open mindness and what we should be open minded to. He also uses his children in an example of what we should be close minded to, the truth. Some people may ask, what is truth? Is it possible that you have your truth and I have mine? This ties into relativism which can be defined as no reality, or facts, outside of what each person thinks. Chris argues that this is wrong in so many different ways. He states that no one in the right mind set would say 2+2=4 for me but it equals 5 for you and that's ok! He argues that in a state of relativism everything is an opinion. The way we live and the way we look at God should never be looked at in different ways! Relativism takes the meaning out of life because people start thinking that they have to make up the meaning of life for themselves. What we need to do is not make up our own reality but discover the one that has already been created. Finding the true meaning of life and of God will give us truth. Chris' talk relates a lot the the essay on bs that I read last weekend because relativism is in a way bs and lying! Not everyone believes in the same things but when you push and push someone into believing something you know isn't the truth, that is bs and that is relativism. You can find relativism in everyday life. For example, people might say volleyball is life or snowboarding is life but the truth is God should be life. God should always be the center and most of the time high school students and even adults do not make God the center of truth
ReplyDeleteI like how you said the way we look at God shouldn't be looked at in different ways. I remember our freshman year of theology, SJP told us we couldn't pick and chose what we believe in. I think you hit that point, maybe without even knowing it. Good job on explaining you understanding of the podcast. It was a good read.
DeleteGreat job!! I really enjoyed how you gave examples that we can all relate to. You also did a very good job in explaining the important parts Chris went over in his talk. Nice work!
DeleteI had just come home from church when I decided to buckle down and do this blog. The sermon at church was titled "Be Prepared for Motion Sickness". My pastor, Bryan, began the message telling the congregation how, as a kid, he had terrible motion sickness. Whether it be in a car, plane, train, or any other mode of transportation, he always would get sick. To help clarify what exactly motion sickness was for those of us who don't experience it, he defined motion sickness as "conflict between reality (truth) and the perception of what isn't true. Then then went on to tell us while there is motion sickness from modes of transportation, many people today are experiencing spiritual motion sickness, or the difficulty distinguishing between right and wrong, good and bad. Little did I know that what Pastor Bryan was speaking about was relativism.
ReplyDeleteI had never heard the term relativism, and before this podcast I didn't know this was a term that unfortunately has been shaping our generation by the masses. As Pope John Paul II said and Chris quoted, "Relativism is the greatest problem of our time." Chris taught me that it 1.) takes the meaning out of life, 2.) makes morality a matter of personal preference, 3.) makes us easy to manipulate and 4.) takes the meaning out of faith. A relativist would be quick to deny all of these by saying relativism makes one free. As I listened, I learned that relativism enslaves not only the relativist, but also those he or she tries to push the belief on. See, relativism is the belief that what works for you may not work for me, but that's okay because everyone is entitled to his or her own belief. This can't be true and Chris tells why. 1.) it's denies our finite nature, 2.) it doesn't work in the real world, and 3.) it's self contradicting propaganda. Chris's main argument was about defining the truth. There is only one truth and I isn't different for everyone. He used many examples such as 9/11, WWII, and Hitler. If the truth was different for each person, each of the actions committed for each case could be justified. This ties into last weeks blog about defining truth. Today's culture believes in a lot of bullshit. For me, I've learned that relativism affects me in the way I've come to accept certain issues. Without even realizing it, I've grown accustomed to some of the bullshit I hear in the media. This is dangerous because as Christians it's our job to defend the truth. As Christian's we have to stand up against relativism.
I really enjoyed your rendition to the podcast to your pastors sermon. It gave me another opportunity to view the piece in a different standpoint, but explained the same information as I did. I don't find one thing I disagree with, well done. -ps I feel the same way about the media's bullshit...SAME!
DeleteIn the in the beginning of Chris's talk he states that relativism is the philosophy that truth is relative to what a person thinks. Throughout his talk he then argues how relativism is eroding the foundation of society. Chris even threw in the fact that the Pope also said relativism is the biggest problem in daily lives. He then argued how relativism is not a good thing, using many examples such as 2+2=4 based on science and the problem can never be 2+2=5 for another person. He states that if something isn't scientifically stated or proven, it's then just labeled as relativism. Examples of things labeled as relativism that everyone should think of similarly are life and faith. In the talk, Chris points out a lot of facts that show that relativism takes away the meaning of life and faith. Everybody sees life in a different way and one point he made is about teenagers and how a survey was done and it was found that 13% of teenagers had thought about suicide, and 8% tried it. It's most likely true that those 13% of teenagers had a bad outlook on life based on what other people had told them and even the influences they had in their life. An example of relativism in faith is people thinking that fornication is okay. Fornication is sexual intercourse between unmarried couples. According to church teachings that isn't okay, but because of what people think and tell others, most people think it is okay.
ReplyDeleteThis talk can relate to the essay we read last week because both Chris and Harry had one central argument and many factual statements to back it up. But in a way relativism is bullshit because relativism is a persons opinion on something which may or may not be true. That ties in with the definition of bullshit which Harry defined as something that isn't true but isn't quite a lie at the same time.
Relativism affects me because a lot of what I think might be arguable to what someone else thinks. For example I may think the school raising the honors requirements was a good thing but others might disagree. I also think relativism is a good thing in some ways because it makes us all think differently about different topics and that can cause some controversy, which isn't always a bad thing. If everyone thought about everything the exact same way, life would be plain and boring. So although I can argue that relativism can be bad, I can also argue that it can be good.
Nice job Brandi!! You hit all of the main points for the blog, and I really enjoyed the survey you added from the talk. Try to use less vague words such as it, he, them, etc. Overall, well done!:)
DeleteFor reading and listening is a major way we become aware of something, and listening to the podcast by Chris Stefanick has made me familiar of a topic I was not informed of within the Catholic faith. Every time I scroll through my feed on Facebook, I always make it a point to watch videos (mostly of Fr. Mike Schmitz) about God and our Catholic faith because it's one way I can learn more about my faith. So listening to another individuals input about what's happening in the Catholic faith will always intrigue me. Taken directly from Merriam Webster dictionary, relativism is said to be the ability to retrieve material that satisfies the needs of the user. According to Chris Stefanick, relativism conforms to reality and deprives people of the true meaning of what life is suppose to be. He gave the easy to understand terminology that our minds are like our mouth. Our mind opens for things to enter then closes on them. Having an open mind approach is good, but it's also important to close the mind of certain things. He continued to say, we can eat food without closing our mouth right? We have to open and close our mouth for the food, or the information in our minds sense, to enter correctly. Relativism is what you see on a bumper sticker saying "Volleyball is life" when in all actuality, God is life. It inserts our own personally created meaning into life in which it should be faith. There is no sure path of it, you kinda just "shoot from the hip" and what ever happens, happens and you can't control it. Continuing, it makes morality a sense of personal taste and takes what morals we have left into the false notion of reliability. He exclaimed the conversation President Obama once had with an individual who asked him this question, "What is sin?". His answer was simply, "being out of align with my values." Now on what level does this come from a faithful aspect?? Zero! We are teaching our children values instead virtues, and what feels wrong to THEM is what's wrong. Parents aren't taking the time to distinguish to their children the difference between right and wrong, good and bad. We are telling ourselves that what we and society think is right is right and not what God and our faith knows what's right. There's a difference between relativism and God, and that is thinking versus knowing. With God, we know His intention and that He is a real, historical person of our time. If our rights don't come from God, than where in the world do they come from? He states one form of realization for myself, and I hope for others as well. If we don't recognize God as an actual person, how can we have a relationship with Him? We go to Church on Sunday's and go through all the motions; sit, stand, kneel, shake hands and say the occasional response, "Amen." We consider ourselves Catholic because we go to Mass every week, but God says that's not enough. Having true faith is not going through the motions. Having faith means living as a child of God, spreading the good news proclaimed in scripture, and being Christ-like. When I say, this don't go trying to cure the blind by rubbing mud on their face. I don't recommend this because you will probably end up getting punched, but rather acting with hospitality, generosity, forgiveness, and compassion as Jesus had for everyone, friend or enemy. Relativism is destroying our faith little by little. We are not God and God doesn't think He's you, God created the final truth, don't go recreating some rendition of what you call truth *cough cough...relativism*. Long story short, relativism is not only killing our virtues and faith, but it's decreasing our chances for a happy, eternal future; heaven with our Heavenly Father.
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DeleteGood job drawing from personal experience! I enjoyed your blog, but I don't see your relation to last weeks blog.
DeleteChris Stefanick's argument is that relativism is wrong. He says it's the greatest problem of our generation and I'd have to agree. Relativism is the idea that morality is built up inside everyone, and everyone has different ideas of morality. If other words (as Mr. Stefanick so elegantly puts it) relativism is "truth for everyone that nothing is true for everyone." A person who doesn't live for the meaning of life lives for everything else such as volleyball. They are deprived from purpose. He also explains how people only "go one inch deep, 10 miles wide," which means they only scratch the surface and don't dig any deeper. Lastly, he explains how relativism makes morality personal, and where, if there is no absolute truth, does everybody's morality compass point to. His reasoning is that it defies finite nature and it does not work in real life. Relativism is torn apart when in practice. An example is when a person starts killing another because they dislike how the person talked. A person following relativism would try to justify the incident by saying "oh he thought...." Such an argument does nothing good for society. We have to judge other people's actions to strive for a better society. Mr. Stefanick's views can be tied to the same philosophy of "bullshit," via the ideas of morality. Those who are bullshitters do not care much about what is the truth or what is wrong. They only care about what is good to themselves. Going back to relativism, those who follow such an thought do not have concrete ideas of mortality either. Both bullshitting and relativism live on personal feelings and do not justify acts. They are not exactly the same idea, but they would "grow on the same tree branch." Relativism is affecting me because of higher authorities. Those who are in a position of power, such as the president, could make wrong moral choices based on the principles of relativity. Those wrong choices are turned into legislation and laws, which later affect not only me, but everyone else
ReplyDeleteYou did a good job getting your points across, but your sentences were a little short and choppy. I wish it would have more flow!
DeleteI like how clear you made your thoughts and how you included how it affected you, great work.
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ReplyDelete"There is no silence anymore," argues Chris Stefanick. Relativism is the belief that there is no definete truth, but rather that everyone has their own truths. This would be mean that no one is ever wrong neither morally nor ethically. Chris, as his argument, agrees with Pope Benedict XVI, who says that relativism is the biggest problem we face today. In relativism, the meaning of freedom is misconstrued totally. Relativists believe that freedom has no boundaries, and therefore people can do/say whatever they want without consequences. Under this belief, 9/11, the Holocost, and other terroristic acts are okay because in not saying so, you are not allowing them to be free. This relates to the essay we read last week on bullshit because people that bullshit are trying to persuade others to see their truth. They want others to believe their truth is the definete truth, which is worse than relativism alone. The only solution is to teach more people what the concrete truth is, Jesus, and encourage them to share it. We should, as Christians, feel a responsibility to educate others on this issue and not just be silent. The result of silence, from those we are not relativists, abortion, gener changing, and other sinful acts and even being encouraged. Chris quoted, " All that has to happen for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing." Often, speaking up about this issues is seen as intolerance or hate. Sharing the truth, fighting for it, is love. The activists for truth love other people and God so much that they want them to know what is right and do it. This is relevant to me because, as a conservative, I am often told that I am full of hate or intolerant. I know that I am not, especially through reading this. Rather, I am full of love and willingness to fight for the truth. This podcast has encouraged me to continue to speak up about the issues, especially because of this upcoming election.