Religions, philosophy and modernism

American schools and universities teach a philosophy that has pervaded the minds of the youth like a poisonous gas, stifling their intellectual capacity by manipulating their emotions.

They omit certain truths that bring about resentment in some, and sympathy in others, creating a swirl of cognitive dullness and confusion– a phenomenon I call “perception-deception”.

The young are taught that since all ideas, philosophies and religions have some truth in them, then they all must be equal in merit and, therefore, must all be true.

This idea is called Modernism, the most subtle and treacherous of all heresies. And it is running rampant today.

Under it’s remarkably convincing cloak of tolerance and false compassion, this modernistic philosophy does not satisfy the youth’s natural hunger for logic and reason, but instead stifles it, lulling their intellects to sleep.

The modernist teaches that everything is satisfactory to gain an eternal life of bliss, depending on one’s personal desires, sex (i.e. “gender”) or culture. And that no matter what people believe or do, everyone gets a piece of heaven.

Yet despite it’s comfortable promises, Modernism does not help the young find the peace and joy they so desperately seek, because this teaching is a lie.

Contradictions

Jesus taught there is only one way to eternal life with God, and that’s by coming to Jesus Himself, and by following His commandments (John 14:6).

Though all philosophies and religions may have portions of the truth in them, reason tells us that they cannot all be regarded as credible or equal.

Some religions/philosophies propose human and animal sacrifice. Others endorse unchecked violence and lust, while some teach the body is evil and must be “mastered” to such a degree that starving it to death is encouraged.

These tend to contradict each other, and their doctrines eclipse human reasoning, defy natural law, and prevent human flourishing.

Therefore, they can’t all be true.

So how do we know which one possesses the seamless and uncontradictory truth in its entirety?

Does it even exist? And how do we recognize it?

Well, for one, we can know it by the presence of authentic and supernatural charity.

“There is no greater love than this, than to lay down your life for your friends” (John 15:13).

In which case, the Speaker of these words went a step further and laid His own life down for His enemies (each of us), those who rejected and still reject Him.

True religion

So if this is the “true religion” that trumps all weak human philosophies, it should be glaringly obvious, right?

So why don’t more people recognize it?

The answer lies within our free will.

Perception-deception bends and twists reality so it suits our own needs and desires, and makes us mindless wanderers without a goal in which to challenge ourselves.

And it’s roots are pride and cowardice.

Evidence matters

Yet the truth is not supposed to be mindless.

We were given the gift intellect to use it. That means, “evidence matters” in matters of truth.

Jesus Christ, the Founder of Christianity, is the only Person whose coming was foretold, heralded thousands of years before He was born.

He is also the only Person who ever claimed to be God, and the only one who backed up that claim with evidence. He does this through miracles and His resurrection from the dead (which is backed by recorded witnesses outside of Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, scientific evidence in the relic of the Shroud of Turin and the durability of the Church He founded. That subject is reserved for another blog post).

Christianity is also the only religion that teaches a radical charity even for one’s enemies, and that we can be like God through His grace.

It is the only religion that also offers a way through suffering, not around, ignoring or rejecting it.

Catholic Christianity teaches that we can suffer through and with Jesus Christ Himself in a mysterious way, and like Jesus’ suffering, and it can even be meritorious (beneficial) for ourselves and for others.

It is a religion that knows that anything worth the effort doesn’t come cheap, including eternal life with God.

And finally, it is the only religion with a God who comes down from heaven to save us, and that each person is individually valued, not because of what they do/don’t do, but because he/she is God’s beloved child.

Christianity is true because it is not merely human thinking or philosophy (1 Thess 2:13). It is a means of clinging to the Truth itself–to the Person of Christ, who is the Truth.

Pray not to become prey

Without this Truth we become slaves to our own self-deception, and trample others around us.

We are now living in a time of perception-deception, where the objectivity of good and evil are being challenged, half-truths are leading many astray, and any means of achieving a perceived “good” is justified.

When truth is abandoned, the culture becomes ripe for persecution and violence.

A hen gathering her chicks

So how do we keep ourselves from being one of the “deceived”?

We never abandon Jesus or His Mother. We pray, fast and make small sacrifices. We admit when we sin, and go to confession. And we ask God to help us to remain faithful to Him.

“See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ” (Col 2:8).

And, like a hen gathering her chicks under her wings to shelter them from a storm, we too, will be protected from the poisonous gases of error, and from the stormy onslaughts of perception-deception that permeates the very air we breathe.

“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).