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Page 1: SUBJECTIVE RELATIVISM VS. MORAL … RELATIVISM VS. MORAL IMPERATIVE OF JESUS AS TRUTH From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: ... A Refutation of Moral Relativism by Peter Kreeft

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The Queen of Light Center for Applied Divine Will Studies

Arlington Cenacle November 14, 2015

†††

SUBJECTIVE RELATIVISM VS. MORAL IMPERATIVE OF JESUS AS TRUTH

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Subjectivism is the philosophical tenet that "our own mental activity is the only unquestionable

fact of our experience". In other words, subjectivism is the doctrine that knowledge is merely

subjective and that there is no external or objective truth. Subjectivism has historically been

condemned by Christian theologians, which oppose to it the objective authority of the church, the

Christian dogma, and the revealed truth of the Bible. Christian theologians, and Karl Barth in

particular, have also condemned anthropocentrism as a form of subjectivism.

Relativism is the concept that points of view have no absolute truth or validity, having only

relative, subjective value according to differences in perception and consideration. As moral

relativism, the term is often used in the context of moral principles,

where principles and ethics are regarded as applicable in only limited context. There are many

forms of relativism which vary in their degree of controversy. The term often refers

to truth relativism, which is the doctrine that there are no absolute truths, i.e., that truth is always

relative to some particular frame of reference, such as a language or a culture (cultural

relativism).

†††

How important is this issue? After all, it's just philosophy, and philosophy is just ideas. But ideas

have consequences. Sometimes these consequences are as momentous as a holocaust, or a

Hiroshima. Sometimes even more momentous. Philosophy is just thought, but sow a thought,

reap an act; sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a

destiny. This is just as true for societies as it is for individuals.

How important is the issue? The issue of moral relativism is merely the single most important

issue of our age, for no society in all of human history has ever survived without rejecting the

philosophy that I am about to refute. There has never been a society of relativists. Therefore, our

society will do one of three things: either disprove one of the most universally established laws

of all history; or repent of its relativism and survive; or persist in its relativism and perish.

How important is the issue? C.S. Lewis says, in The Poison of Subjectivism, that relativism "will

certainly end our species and damn our souls." Please remember that Oxonians are not given to

exaggeration. Why does he say "damn our souls?" Because Lewis is a Christian, and he does not

disagree with the fundamental teaching of his master, Christ, and all the prophets in the Jewish

tradition, that salvation presupposes repentance, and repentance presupposes an objectively real

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moral law. Moral relativism eliminates that law, thus trivializes repentance, thus imperils

salvation.

Why does he say, "end our species," and not just modern Western civilization? Because the

entire human species is becoming increasingly Westernized and relativized. It is ironic that

America, the primary source of relativism in the world today, is also the world's most religious

nation. Within America, the strongest opposition to relativism comes from the churches. Yet a

still further irony, according to the most recent polls, Catholics are as relativistic, both in

behavior and in belief, as non-Catholics. Sixty-two percent of Evangelicals say they disbelieve in

any absolute or unchanging truths, and American Jews are significantly more relativistic and

more secular than Gentiles. Only Orthodox Jews, the Eastern Orthodox, and Fundamentalists

seem to be resisting the culture, but not by converting it, but by withdrawing from it. And that

includes most Muslims, except for the tiny minority who terrorize it. When Pat Buchanan told us

in 1992 that we were in a culture war, all the media laughed, sneered, and barked at him. Today,

everyone knows he was right, and the culture war is most essentially about this issue.

A Refutation of Moral Relativism by Peter Kreeft

CCC 150 Faith is first of all a personal adherence of man to God. At the same time, and

inseparably, it is a free assent to the whole truth that God has revealed. As personal adherence to

God and assent to his truth, Christian faith differs from our faith in any human person. It is right

and just to entrust oneself wholly to God and to believe absolutely what he says. It would be

futile and false to place such faith in a creature.

Vatican Council II, LUMEN GENTIUM 25a

Bishops, teaching in communion with the Roman Pontiff, are to be respected by all as witnesses

to divine and Catholic truth. In matters of faith and morals, the bishops speak in the name

of Christ and the faithful are to accept their teaching and adhere to it with a religious assent.

This religious submission of mind and will must be shown in a special way to the authentic

magisterium of the Roman Pontiff, even when he is not speaking ex cathedra; that is, it must be

shown in such a way that his supreme magisterium is acknowledged with reverence, the

judgments made by him are sincerely adhered to, according to his manifest mind and will. His

mind and will in the matter may be known either from the character of the documents, from his

frequent repetition of the same doctrine, or from his manner of speaking.

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LET’S GET INTO THE VOLUMES! JESUS IS THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH!

Volume 14 June 1, 1922

Jesus before Pilate. What the truth is.

Finding myself in my usual state, I was following the Hours of the Passion of my sweet

Jesus, especially when He was presented to Pilate, who asked Him what His Kingdom was. And

my always lovable Jesus told me: “My daughter, that was the first time in my terrestrial life that I

dealt with a gentile authority, who asked Me what my Kingdom was. And I answered him that my

Kingdom is not of this world, for if it were of this world, thousands of legions of Angels would

defend Me. But, with this, I opened my Kingdom to the gentiles, and communicated to them my

celestial doctrines; so much so, that Pilate asked me: ‘What? You are a king?’ And immediately I

answered him: ‘I am King, and I have come into the world to teach the truth.’ With this, I wanted

to make my way into his mind in order to make Myself known; so much so that, as though struck,

he asked Me: ‘What is the truth?’ But he did not wait for my answer; I did not have the good of

making Myself understood. I would have said to him: ‘The truth is I; everything in Me is truth.

Truth is my patience in the midst of so many insults; truth is my sweet gaze among so many

derisions, calumnies, contempts. Truths are my affable, attractive manners in the midst of so many

enemies, such that, while they hate Me, I love them, and while they want to give Me death, I want

to embrace them and give them life. Truths are my words, dignified and full of celestial wisdom.

Everything in Me is truth.’ The truth is more than majestic sun which, as much as one would want

to trample it, rises more beautiful, more luminous, such as to shame the very enemies, and to knock

them down at its feet.

Volume 14 March 7, 1922

The words of Jesus are full of truth and of light, and they carry with them the substance and

the virtue of transmuting the soul into the same truth, into the same light, and into the very

good which they contain.

I was thinking about what is written, and I said to myself: ‘Is it really Jesus that speaks to

me, or is it a trick of the enemy and of my fantasy?’ And Jesus, on coming, told me: “My daughter,

my words are full of truth and of light, and they carry with them the substance and the virtue of

transmuting the soul into the same truth, into the same light, and into the very good which they

contain, in such a way that the soul not only knows the truth, but feels within herself the substance

of operating according to the truth that she has known. Moreover, my truths are full of beauty and

of attraction, in such a way that the soul, taken by their beauty, lets herself be enraptured by them.

In Me everything is order, harmony and beauty. See, I created the heavens; they alone

could be enough - but no, I wanted to adorn them with stars, almost studding them with beauty, so

that the human eye might enjoy more from the works of its Creator. I created the earth, and I

adorned it with many plants and flowers. I created nothing which did not have its ornament. And

if this is in the order of created things, much more so in my truths, which reside in my Divinity,

such that, while it seems that they reach the soul, they are like solar rays which, while they hit and

warm the earth, yet never depart from the center of the sun. And the soul remains so enamored

with my truths, that she finds it almost impossible not to put into practice the truths that she has

known, even at the cost of her life.

On the other hand, when it is the enemy or the speculation of fantasy that want to speak

about truths, they bring neither light, nor substance, nor beauty, nor attraction - they are empty

truths, without life, and the soul does not feel the grace to sacrifice herself in order to put them

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into practice. So, the truths that your Jesus tells you are full of life and of everything that my truths

contain. Why do you doubt?”

Volume 14 June 23, 1922

How the truths are more than sun.

I was thinking to myself: ‘Jesus says many things about His Most Holy Will, but it seems

that He is not understood, and even by the confessors themselves - they seem doubtful, and before

a light so immense, they remain neither illuminated nor drawn to love a Will so lovable.’ Now,

while I was thinking of this, my always lovable Jesus, throwing His arm around my neck, told me:

“My daughter, do not be surprised at this. Those who are not completely empty of their own will

cannot have a sure knowledge of Mine, because the human will forms the cloud between Mine and

theirs, and hinders the knowledge of the value and effects that Mine contains. But in spite of this,

they cannot say that it is not light.

See, also the things that can be seen down here are not comprehended by man. Who can

ever tell what I did in creating the sun, or how much light and heat it contains? Yet, they see it,

they enjoy its effects; it is with them all day, its heat and light follow them everywhere. And with

all this, they neither know nor can they tell its height, or the light and the heat it possesses. And if

anyone wanted to rise up in order to know this, the light would eclipse him, the heat would burn

him. So, man is forced to keep his eyes low and enjoy the light without being able to investigate

it, contenting himself with saying: ‘It is sun’.

So, if this happens with the sun which can be seen and which I created for the natural good

of man, more so with the truths which contain - oh! how much more light and heat than the sun

itself; especially, then, the truths that regard my Will, which contain eternal effects, goods and

value. Who can ever measure all that It contains? It would be as though wanting to eclipse oneself.

It would be better to lower one’s forehead and enjoy the light that my truth brings, loving it and

making that little light which the human intelligence comprehends one’s own, rather than putting

it aside, as something that does not belong to them, because they do not comprehend all the fullness

of the light. So, with the sun, although they do not comprehend it, they enjoy its light as much as

they can, they make use of it in order to operate, to walk, to look, and – oh! how they long for

daylight, so that the light may keep them company and live with them. But then, my truths, which

are more than light and make the sun of the day rise in the human minds, are neither regarded, nor

loved, nor longed for, and are held as a trifle. What sorrow! However, when I see that they put my

truths aside, I put them aside, and I let my truths do their course with the souls who love them and

long for them, and make use of their light in order to model their lives and become one with them.

Do you think I have told you everything about the truths, about the effects and the value that my

truth contains? Oh! how many more suns do I have to make rise. And do not be surprised if you

do not comprehend everything. Be content with living of its light, and this is enough for Me.”

Volume 15 June 15, 1923

What true charity consists in.

Continuing in my state, I was praying that my always lovable Jesus would deign to come

to visit my poor soul; and He, all goodness, came and made Himself seen while retouching me all

over with His holy hand; and in touching me, He would leave a light as mark at each point where

He touched me. After this, Jesus disappeared, and my first confessor came, who is now deceased,

and he told me: “I too want to touch you at those points where Our Lord touched you.” And I,

almost not wanting, but as though lacking the strength to oppose him, let him do it. But as he was

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doing it, that light which Jesus had left was communicated to him as he touched me, and he

remained as though invested with so much light for as many touches as he gave me, always at the

same points where Jesus had touched me. I remained surprised, and the confessor told me: “The

Lord has sent me to give me the recompense of the merit I acquired when I would come to you to

do you charity, and would act upon you. Now this has turned for me into light of eternal glory.”

Then, afterwards, my second confessor came, who is also deceased, and he told me: “Tell

me what Jesus said to you - I want to hear it, so that the light of the divine truths may unite to the

many lights of the truths which the Lord spoke to you, and with which, in hearing them from you

when I was alive, I remained as though impregnated. Now the Lord has sent me to confirm for me

the recompense of the merit I acquired by wanting to hear those truths. If you knew what it means

to hear the divine truths, what charm of light they contain, such that the sun would remain eclipsed,

and the good they bring to the one who speaks them and to the one who listens to them, you would

compete – you, in speaking them, and the one who feels the duty to do so, in listening to them.

Therefore, hurry, tell me - what did He say to you?” And I, remembering that Jesus had told me

what charity means, told him that. My words turned into light and invested him; then, all content,

he disappeared from me.

Now I will say what Jesus had told me about charity: “My daughter, true charity, with its

power, can convert all things into love. Look at fire: all varieties of wood and any other thing - it

converts them all into fire; and if it did not have the power to convert everything into fire, it could

not be given the name of true fire. The same for the soul: if she does not convert all things into

love – both supernatural and natural things, joys and bitternesses, and everything that surrounds

her – she cannot be said to possess true charity.” Now, as He was saying this, He let many flames

come out of His Most Holy Heart, which filled Heaven and earth, and then, uniting together,

formed one single flame. And He added: “Continuous flames of love come out of my Heart, and

to some they bring love, to some pain, to some light, to others strength, etc. And because they

come out from the center of the furnace of my love, even though they do different offices, since

one is the purpose – to send love to the creature – they are all flames which, uniting together, form

one single flame. The same for the creature: even though she does different things, the purpose

must be love, so as to be able to make of her actions as many little flames which, uniting together,

will form the great flame that will burn everything and will transform her completely into Me.

Otherwise, she will not possess true charity.”

Volume 15 July 1, 1923

. . . Having said this, He withdrew in my interior, and I was left thinking: ‘How good Jesus

is. It seems to me that He greatly delights in communicating Himself to the creature, and that He

takes so much pleasure in manifesting His truths, that while He is saying one, that very truth is a

spur for Him, and almost draws Him with an irresistible force to manifest more truths. What

goodness! What love!’ And Jesus came out again from within my interior, and placing His face

close to mine, added: “My daughter, you do not know what it means to manifest my truths, and

this is why you marvel at my pleasure and at the irresistible force I feel to manifest Myself to the

creature. And one who is willing to listen to Me forms my joy and my delights in conversing with

her. You must know that when I manifest one truth of mine which is not known, it is a new creation

that I make, and I love very much to unleash from Myself the many goods and secrets which I

contain. But as much as I may speak, since I am that Act ever new that never repeats Itself, I always

yearn to say more; and as I speak, I always have more new things that I would like to say, because

that newness is never exhausted in Me - I am always new in love, new in beauty, new in

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contentments, in harmonies – new in everything, and ever new. And this is why I do not tire

anyone, I always have new things to give and to say, and the irresistible force that pushes Me to

manifest Myself is my immense love. In an outpouring of love I issued the Creation; everything

that can be seen in the whole universe was all inside of Me. Love made the shadow of my light

overflow from my interior, and I created the sun; the shadow of my immensity and of my

harmonies, and I stretched out the heavens, harmonizing them with many stars and celestial

spheres. These and other things which I created were nothing other than shadows of mine which I

issued from Myself; and my love had its outpouring, and I took great delight in seeing what was

contained in Me, spread out in little particles hovering over all Creation.

Now, what will my joy be in manifesting my truths, which are not shadows of mine that

come out of Me, but the substance of the goods that I contain within Me; and which speak of Me,

not in a mute language like all created things do, but with clear, sonorous and eloquent voice; and

which, since my word is creative, like a new creation create in the soul the truths that I manifest?

If with one Fiat I created many things, in manifesting my truths it is not just one Fiat that I

pronounce, but as many words for as many as are needed in order to manifest and to have souls

comprehend that which I want them to understand. Imagine, then, what my contentment is in

manifesting my truths to the soul who, not in a mute language, but with speaking voice, will

manifest my goods, my truths, to others, in order to infuse in others the good she has received.

Therefore, in manifesting my truths, my love finds its outpouring and becomes festive, and I

greatly love one who is willing to listen to Me.”

Volume 7 September 16, 1906

The sheer truth, naked and simple, is the most powerful magnet to draw hearts.

As the confessor told me that Monsignor did not want people to come visit me, so that I

might not be distracted, I said to him: ‘You have given this obedience more than once, but it is

never sorted out - it is done for a little while, and then things go back as before; while if you give

me the obedience not to speak any more, my silence would drive everyone away.’ Now, having

received Communion, I said to the Lord: ‘If it pleases You, I would like to know how things are

in your sight. You know the state of violence in which I find myself when I am with creatures,

because with You alone I feel comfortable. I cannot understand why they want to come. I show

myself rustic; I use no means to attract them, but rather, unpleasant manners. Why they want to

come – I don’t know. Oh, Heavens grant that I may remain alone!’

At that moment He said to me: “My daughter, the sheer truth, naked and simple, is the most

powerful magnet to draw hearts and to dispose them to face any sacrifice for love of the truth and

of the people who reveal this truth. Who disposed the Martyrs to shed their blood? The truth. Who

gave to many other Saints the strength to conduct a pure and unblemished life in the midst of so

many battles? The truth - and a naked, simple and disinterested truth. This is why creatures want

to come to you. Ah, my daughter, in these sad times, how hard it is to find someone who would

manifest this naked truth, even among the clergy, the religious, and devout people! Their speaking

and operating always nurses something human, of interest or other things, and the truth is

manifested as though covered or veiled. So, the person who receives is not touched by the naked

truth, but by the interest or the other human purpose in which the truth has been wrapped, and he

does not receive the Grace and the influence which the truth contains. This is why so many

sacraments, so many confessions, are wasted, profaned and without fruit, even though I do not

abstain from giving them light. But they do not listen to Me, because they think to themselves that

if they did so, they would lose their prestige, their being well liked, their nature would no longer

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find satisfaction, and they would go against their own interests. But – oh, how they deceive

themselves! In fact, one who leaves everything for love of the truth will superabound in everything

more profusely than others. Therefore, as much as you can, do not neglect to manifest this naked

and simple truth – it is understood, always complying to the obedience of the one who directs you;

but as the opportunity arises, manifest the truth.”

All that regards charity I have said in a veiled manner, and since obedience had told me to

write everything in detail, I had the impression as if I had not obeyed. As I asked Our Lord, He

told me that it was fine as it was, because one who finds himself in those defects, would understand.

Volume 8 September 3, 1908

Jesus is light, and light is truth.

As I was in my usual state, blessed Jesus made Himself seen all light, and said these simple

words: “I am light - but what is light made of? What is the principle of it? It is truth. So, I am light

because I am truth. Therefore, in order for the soul to be light and to have light in all of her actions,

these must come from truth. Wherever there is artifice, deception and duplicity, there cannot be

light - but darkness.” And He disappeared like a flash.

Volume 13 January 25, 1922

Each truth contains within itself a distinct beatitude, happiness, joy and beauty. What it means

to have known on earth one more truth about the Divine Will when the soul is in Heaven.

As I was in my usual state, my always lovable Jesus, on coming, told me: “My daughter,

the more truths I manifest to you, the more specialties of beatitudes I give to you as gift. Each truth

contains within itself a distinct beatitude, happiness, joy and beauty; so, each additional truth you

know brings beatitude, happiness, joy, beauty into yourself, with which you remain enriched.

These are divine seeds that the soul receives, and by manifesting them to others, she communicates

these seeds and enriches whomever receives them. Now, since the truths that one has known on

earth are divine seeds which sprout with beatitudes, joy, etc. in Heaven, when the soul is in her

Fatherland they will be electric wires of communication through which the Divinity will unleash

from Its womb so many acts of beatitude for as many truths as she has known. Oh! how she will

remain inundated by them, as though by many different immense seas. She already has the seed,

and by having the seed, she has the void in which to be able to receive these immense seas of

happiness, of joy and of beauty. One who does not have the seed, who has not known a truth while

on earth, lacks the void in order to be able to receive these beatitudes.

It happens as when a little one has not wanted to study all the languages. As he grows up,

and hears others speak in those languages, which he did not want to study, or he was not given the

opportunity to study, he will understand nothing. In fact, by not wanting to study, his intelligence

remained closed, and made no effort to prepare a little space in order to comprehend those

languages. At the most, he will remain amazed, he will enjoy from someone else’s happiness, but

neither will he possess it, nor will he be the cause of happiness for others. See then, what it means

to know one truth more, or one truth less - if all knew what great goods they miss, they would

compete in order to acquire truths.

Now, the truths are the secretaries of my beatitudes, and if I do not manifest them to souls,

they do not crack the secret which they contain. They swim within my Divinity, waiting for their

turn to act as divine agents, and make Me known - how many more beatitudes I contain. And the

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longer they have remained hidden in my womb, the more uproariously and majestically they come

out to inundate the creatures and manifest my glory.

Do you think that all of Heaven is aware of all my goods? No, no! Oh! how much remains

for It to enjoy, which It does not enjoy today. Each creature who enters into Heaven having known

one more truth, unknown to others, will bring within herself the seed so as to have new

contentments, new joys and new beauty unleashed from Me, of which that soul will be as though

the cause and fount, while others will take part in them. The last day will not come if I do not find

souls who are disposed, in order for Me to reveal all my truths, so that the Celestial Jerusalem may

resound with my complete glory, and all the Blessed may take part in all my beatitudes - some as

direct cause, for having known that truth, and some as indirect cause, through the one who has

known it.

Now, my daughter, in order to console you, and so that you may be attentive in listening

to my truths, I want to tell you which ones are the truths that glorify Me the most: they are those

which regard my Will, primary cause with which I created man - that his will be one with his

Creator. But man, having withdrawn from my Will, rendered himself unworthy to know the values

and the effects and all the truths It contains. This is the reason for all my attentions with you, so

that, between Me and you, our wills would run together and be always in highest accord. In fact,

so that the soul may open the doors and render herself disposed to knowing the truths that my Will

contains, the first thing is wanting to live of my Will, the second is wanting to know It, the third is

to appreciate It. Therefore, with you I opened the doors of my Will, that you might know Its secrets,

which man had buried inside my womb, and the effects and the value It contains; and as many

truths as you know about my Will, so many seeds you receive, and so many divine secretaries form

your cortege. Oh! how they make feast around you, having found one to whom to confide their

secret. But they will make the most beautiful feast when they take you to Heaven - when the

Divinity, at your very entrance, will unleash so many different beatitudes distinct among

themselves, of joy, of happiness and of beauty, which will not only inundate you, but all the

Blessed will take part in them. Oh! how Heaven awaits your coming, to enjoy these new

contentments!”