Bethune Catholic

Good post over at Caelum et Terra on torture and reason, and society. Mr. Nichols writes:

I once believed that one could create a just social order based upon reason alone. .....I first became aware of the insufficiency of reason alone in the moral sphere when thinking about euthanasia. One simply cannot construct an argument against shortening the suffering of the terminally ill that will convince reason, apart from transcendent truth, for there is no meaning to suffering that can be understood apart from Revelation. Reason cannot grasp that suffering can have meaning and purpose, that it can be a participation in the redemption of the world.

This post reminds me of discussions I have had about Thomas More's Utopia. Many have thought possibly that St. Thomas was a closet Communist or a rash of other things. In reality, I believe that he was exploring what a society would look like based on reason, but no grace or Revealation.

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Off topic-Russell Shaw's Catholic Laity in the Mission of the Church is at the printer for its 2nd printing. (Hurrah!). We are offering a 2nd-printing pre-order special on it. (It will ship in late August.) Check it out.