Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Eric Lim had gotten married. His wife subsequently found out that he was a transsexual, with female organs, prior to his surgery. She sought a court judgment declaring the marriage void and won her case. An academic noted that as far as marriage is a form of contract, the use of mistake to get a party out of the contract is viable if the mistake is a fundamental one. That fundamental mistake in this case, the academic noted, goes to the misapprehension of the “totality of the person”. Let us think a little about this.
Is it true that the totality of the person comes down to the organ that he or she possesses? Am I any less a person because I cut my hair? Or how about something more vital- say in donating my kidneys or losing a lung? How about amputating a leg? When does a person, stop being that same person?
If you think the questions are easy, then Thursday evenings should be a breeze and you should come. If you think they are incredibly difficult, then there is even more reason to. So what are we doing on Thursday evenings? In a short discussion of Knowledge, I will seek to show, at least on a conceptual level, what goes on during our meetings.
Knowledge is a vast landscape with unending depths. There is the Science and Arts, Law and Economics, Sociology and Psychology. Where then do we start? More importantly, what do we aim to achieve? Do we skim the surface or plunge into the deep? I would say we incline towards the latter. In fact, we have chosen a spot rather tiny- instead of a whole field of study- we have narrowed it down to one set of readings. We have chosen a strategic landmark to utilize all our tools in. This is the study of Love and Responsibility by Pope John Paul II.
Why such a ‘location’? Because it is utterly relevant. It is about us after all. And it is about sex. Yes, sex is a prevailing and increasingly popular notion. More importantly, our ideas of sex as an act, as a part of who we are, are being shaped by many forces. The Pope’s writings aim to make sense of all these forces. He created a powerful microscope that peers deep within the heart of humanity and anthropology to understand what is good about sex. He’s handed it to us on a silver platter. Of course we’re going to take it.
Knowledge, nevertheless, finds itself welcome only to an environment that seeks. The transformative potential of the study group therefore lives and thrives only on the desire of all to know. Without doubt, this would not be easy. Yet, the secret lies precisely in the obstacles- where we start to listen to another in spite of our obstinacy, begin real dialogue that seeks to know rather than prove wrong, where we are gently but firmly challenged to question the assumptions that we live by- that is where and how we grow.
Knowledge often set itself on quite a high pedestal. Usually, only a paper qualification allows us to ascend. Without crossing the PSLE hurdle, it is hard to talk about A-maths or Chemistry. Speakers without credentials signify talks not worth going for. That is the reality today. This study group is humbled by that fact, but also encouraged by it. This is because we ask not of your certifications, but only of your commitment.
The Study Group takes upon itself, the task of making sense. More importantly, we aim to have fun whilst doing so. In that sense, our aspirations are but simple ones. Its simplicity lies also in the one promise that it makes. And this is the promise- That no one struggling will be left straddling alone. If we rush towards the next reading, to cover a syllabus, then we would be no different from a School. We go to schools to get qualified. We are here to study.
Marcus
Utilitarianism
What does it actually mean?
According to Wikipedia, it is the idea that the moral worth of an action is determined solely by its utility in providing happiness or pleasure as summed among all people;
or more commonly known as "the greatest good for the greatest number of people"
So what did Pope John Paul II think about it?
He said that it actually is the "greatest subjective good for the greatest number of people." After hearing it, Ifelt affirmed. In this world of so much subjectivity, the objective good is somehow always forgotten or brushed aside in the context of utilitarianism. I feel that being a radical Catholic, I lack support for my views and insistence on the objective good, sometimes even from fellow Catholics. The tendency to be "open-minded" just leads people of today's times into seeing things through their subjective lenses. Hence, I feel lonely sometimes standing firmly on my beliefs and increasingly becoming fearful of judgement from the people around me.
Reading a thread on Catholic Answers Forum about how ex-pro life supporters have become pro-choice had left me disappointed once more. It is sad that from the subjective lenses of people's perception of the mother's situation, the life of the unborn can be sacrificed - not even taking into account that the method of abortion is truly cruel.
The opening up of this discussion on Thursday has fuelled my passion for Apologetics once more and also into reading and reflecting more on God's law. Though with our human limitations and the inadequateness of human logic, I pray that we will flourish as a group and really pass on this awareness of wisdom to others.
We are a group of young adults that meets every Thursday to discuss two documents that the late Pope John Paul II had written - Love and Responsibility and the Theology of the Body. Feel free to contact me or Marcus Foo or anyone you know to come and join us! =)
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Welcome! Here we share the fruits of our discussion and we pray that you would too, share in our understand of agape love