Ratzinger's belief "absolute truths." vs "consent of the governed"

[Democrats_win]

He made this comment one day before he was selected:

"Having a clear faith based on the creed of the church is often labeled today as a fundamentalism. Whereas relativism, which is letting oneself be tossed and 'swept along by every wind of teaching,' looks like the only attitude acceptable to today's standards."

Why must I live by your "absolute truths?"

[Inland]

1. Hell? But if you don't buy that, you don't have to live by them at all.

Isn't that sweet? You live in America! I have truths, you have truths, and nobody gets killed or imprisoned for them!

[JAbuchan08]

2. Wanna bet?

n/t

[Inland]

5. Yep. I do, every day. What's more, I'd like to keep it that way

rather than go on some mission to pretend that nobody should believe in an absolute truth. It's called tolerance. I'm for it!

[JAbuchan08]

9. I'll tell you what - I'll believe in absolute truth if you don't pretend

that you can know it.

God or no God

Religion or no religion

you can't fit the entire universe in your head and until you can do that you're not going to have any idea what the "absolute truth" really is.

[Inland]

11. Absolute truth and knowing it (in whole or in part)

are indeed different.

And agreeing on what those truths are is a third altogether.

[JAbuchan08]

12. Thank you for granting me that. The point being that thinking you know

the absolute truth almost inevitably results in trying to force that opinion on others.

[gratuitous]

3. Isn't it convenient?

That all of the "absolute truths" Ratzinger is so fond of just happen to coincide with his personal predilections?

I'd like to know if or where there is any disagreement or discomfort for Ratzinger between any Catholic dogma and his personal tastes. How did he resolve any of these feelings, or is he the perfect Catholic?

I'm far more comfortable in a denomination that recognizes that there are multiple viewpoints on practically any subject, that the Bible speaks with several voices and says many different things about any number of subjects, and that it's up to us, as a community, to be in conversation with one another and with God to try to discern day by day the best spiritual path. Strange to say that forgiveness and humility keep coming up again and again. I don't know that Mr. Ratzinger contends with these questions in the same way.

[iamjoy]

4. What About Slavery?

"Slavery is wrong"
does he consider that an absolute truth or relativism?

For years the church condoned the practice and even helped supress slaves by saying they should serve Jesus through their masters. Then a handful of people got very loud about the immorality of slavery, the handful grew and swept many others away...

I'm just saying, anytime some Fundamentalist is inclined to bash moral relativism I remind them of brutalities once sanctioned by the Church.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

6. of brutalities once sanctioned by the Church.

Oh come on, everyone knows that is revisionist history, those things never happened. Why do you liburals hate G-d so much. (/sarcasm off)

[sui generis]

7. well when the "governed" get tired of high holy loons telling them

to paint their ass blue and stand on their head for two hours every day, they will eventually replace their leader or stop being "governed".

Of course there will always be a radical few with callouses on their heads.

[WillowTree]

8. Unless you're a Catholic...

....no one is saying that you're under any obligation to live by the Church's truths. And if you are a Catholic, but don't accept the Church's truths, perhaps it's time to start shopping for a different religion that's more in line with your belief system.

One more time: THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS NOT A DEMOCRACY AND NEVER CLAIMED TO BE.

[JAbuchan08]

10. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS NOT A DEMOCRACY AND NEVER CLAIMED TO BE.

which is my problem with it. It's your perogative if you want to believe that God speaks through the pope to the rest of humanity, but I think he's just an old man with a silly hat leading around silly people who can't think for themselves. If you don't like that opinion (which I am free to hold) I'm sorry that it doesn't fit in with your view of what the "absolute truth'