We’d like to have a clear answer for every situation, a nice pat sternly worded Baltimore Catechism answer, preferably with a bad drawing to go with it. We’re scared of the opposite of that; we’re afraid that we might have to apply our knowledge, think about our unique situation, and apply that tricky virtue of prudence to figure out the right thing to do. It shouldn’t be difficult to apply objective moral rules in individual situations. And if someone claims it is, that person can’t possible be exercising virtue. He’s one of those slimy moral relativists!
And so, we get combox warriors absolutely sure that a certain legislation is the will of God, and anyone against it must be a relativist. Or that a certain gesture or garment or song is in itself evil, and never to be tolerated. They always sound like idiots until you reach your own pet issue, and then you become the idiot. We’re all pretty imprudent.
In real life, there is no Catechism so thorough as to tell us exactly what to do. We have to pray for the virtue of prudence and apply the morals we know to our own state in life.
Should I give cash to a homeless person? It depends. Is there a grocery store or restaurant you can take him to nearby instead? Can you afford to do that? Are you endangering yourself by opening your wallet on that particular block?
It’s a sin not to receive a poor man, but prudence teaches us how to receive him, relative to where we are and what we have.
Should I commit an act of civil disobedience to protest a truly unjust law? Quite possibly. Are you being forced to cooperate with evil or is evil simply being done in front of you? How will it effect your children and those others for whom you’re responsible? Is there a legal means you’re ignoring because it’s less dramatic? Do you think it will make a difference?
It’s a sin to cooperate with evil, but how not to cooperate is up to us.
Can I open-mouth kiss my boyfriend? It depends. Do you find that sexually arousing? If so, it’s probably a bad idea until you’re married. If not, I don’t see why you’d bother, but I don’t think it will hurt you. If you’re just doing it to scandalize creepy old Aunt Perpetua into dropping her Rosary beads, that’s uncharitable of you.
Can I go outside in nothing but a sports bra and shorts? It depends. Are you female? Are you running a marathon, gardening in extreme heat or in some other situation where you’ll be ill if you wear something that covers more? Is your house on fire and you don’t have time to grab anything else? Do you live really close to neighbors or out in the country?
It’s a sin to be unchaste or immodest, but chastity and modesty are relative to your state in life. That is, by the way, why chastity gurus who demonize a certain garment are always wrong. Garments are not immoral. People may be, and they’re way more likely to be without prudence.
Some things are always right, and others are always wrong. But very often, whether something is right or wrong is relative to a given situation. Instead of calling everything relativism, I think we all ought to cultivate a love of virtue, and especially a desire for prudence. Pray for prudence and see how far that gets you. Far from being against morality, I think the Holy Ghost will teach us how to live a moral life, if we only use the tools He gave us for that purpose.
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