Although moral relativism is a product of Protestantism with its different and varied ways to reach God, it is in Catholic countries under conditions of democracy that it is carried to the extreme.
Democracy tells the people that they are supposed to govern themselves independently of any external authority. This requires a proactive attitude on the part of each man to search the better ways to serve the common good. However, contrary to Protestant populations who are supposed to search actively for truth, Catholic populations have been educated to expect truth to be told them by the external authority of the Church.
As democracy refuses the authority of the Church and tries to put her out of the public scene, Catholic populations become orphan and disoriented. In Protestant societies there remains the common denominator of Christianity whereas in Catholic societies there is no Christianity without the Church, for the Church is Christianity herself.
In Catholic societies people have never been trained to reach truth or to think by themselves in matters that are public and relate to the common good. Without the guidance of the Church these people are not sure anymore about what is true and what is not true and the distinction between right and wrong becomes blurred in their minds.
The moral absolutism of the Church is then replaced by individual or group moralities, which are as absolutistic as that of the Church, fracturing a traditionally unified society and creating a moral environment where, in practice, "anything goes".
Democracy tells the people that they are supposed to govern themselves independently of any external authority. This requires a proactive attitude on the part of each man to search the better ways to serve the common good. However, contrary to Protestant populations who are supposed to search actively for truth, Catholic populations have been educated to expect truth to be told them by the external authority of the Church.
As democracy refuses the authority of the Church and tries to put her out of the public scene, Catholic populations become orphan and disoriented. In Protestant societies there remains the common denominator of Christianity whereas in Catholic societies there is no Christianity without the Church, for the Church is Christianity herself.
In Catholic societies people have never been trained to reach truth or to think by themselves in matters that are public and relate to the common good. Without the guidance of the Church these people are not sure anymore about what is true and what is not true and the distinction between right and wrong becomes blurred in their minds.
The moral absolutism of the Church is then replaced by individual or group moralities, which are as absolutistic as that of the Church, fracturing a traditionally unified society and creating a moral environment where, in practice, "anything goes".
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