♪ >> Doug: HELLO AND WELCOME ONCE AGAIN TO "FR. SPITZER'S UNIVERSE" WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE. BUT WE'RE HERE EVERY WEEK. I'M DOUG KECK YOUR HOST COMING TO YOU LIVE FROM OUR EWTN STUDIOS IN THE HEART OF IRONDALE, ALABAMA AND WHERE WE ARE AT THE MOTHERSHIP WHERE MOTHER ANGELICA STARTED EVERYTHING. NOW, WE RELY ON YOUR EMAILS, FACEBOOK POSTS, AND ALSO, YOU CAN TWEET US ON TWITTER. ALL THINGS FATHER SPITZER, GO TO THE MAGIS CENTER WEB SITE. magiscenter.com. OF COURSE, WE ARE DEALING WITH AN INTRODUCTION TO THE 10 UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES, KIND OF PART 2. WE GOT INTO IT AT THE END OF THE LAST PROGRAM. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH AND THE BOOK IS AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR RELIGIOUS CATALOG. IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW ALONG, YOU MIGHT WANT TO GET THAT. AND SPEAKING OF BOOKS, MOTHER ANGELICA, GOD, HIS HOME, AND HIS ANGELS. AND MOTHER ANGELICA LOVED THOSE ANGELS! OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS MONASTERY, THAT'S WHERE THE NAME CAME FROM. CHECK IT OUT AT ewtnRC.com. THAT'S MOTHER ANGELICA. SO, SWITCHING OVER TO THE WEST COAST, JOINING OUR FRIEND ONCE AGAIN, IN THE HEART OF "FR. SPITZER'S UNIVERSE" OUT THERE AT OUR ORANGE COUNTY CAMPUS, CHRIST CATHEDRAL, COMING INTO FOCUS, FATHER SPITZER COIFING A NEW COIF! >> Father: OH, BOY. BUT IT'S A NEW HAIR CUT. >> Doug: I HEARD IT WAS A FREE ONE. IS THAT TRUE? >> YEAH, WONDERFUL LADY GIVES ME FREE HAIR CUTS, WONDERFUL VIETNAMESE LADY. >> Doug: ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE IT'S FREE DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT VALUABLE, IS THAT RIGHT? >> Father: NO, NO. THIS IS VERY VALUABLE. >> Doug: GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. WHY DON'T WE START OFF AS WE ALWAYS DO WITH A LITTLE BIT OF A PRAYER AND WE'LL GET GOING. >> Father: ABSOLUTELY. IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK YOU, AS WE HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE CHRISTMAS SEASON NOW INTO ORDINARY TIME IN PREPARATION FOR OUR UPCOMING AND EARLY LENT, WE ASK YOU TO OPEN OUR HEARTS EVER MORE AND MORE TO YOUR TRUTH IN OUR LIVES, THE TRUTH THAT SAVES, THE TRUTH THAT LEADS US TO THE GOOD, THE TRUTH THAT HELPS OUR CULTURE AND THE TRUTH THAT HELPS US TO PROTECT LIFE, THE TRUTH THAT MANIFESTS YOUR GOODNESS AND YOUR LOVE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. PLEASE, LORD, MAY WE BE GOOD MISSIONARIES OF THAT TRUTH, BE FAITHFUL TO IT; AND MAY WE PLANT IT AND PLANT THOSE SEEDS WITHIN THE HEARTS OF ALL THOSE WE KNOW. THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN. AND MARY, SEAT OF WISDOM, PRAY FOR US. IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN. >> Doug: VERY GOOD. AND WE HAVE AN INTRODUCTION TO THE 10 UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES. WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT AT THE LAST SHOW. AND BRIEF ISSUE OF THE LIFE ISSUES, ONE OF THE MANY BOOKS AND SERIES WE ALSO HAVE ON EWTN. PEOPLE CAN CHECK THAT OUT THROUGH THE CATALOG AS WELL. LET'S GET TO QUESTIONS THAT WE LIKE TO IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE SHOW DEALING WITH QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO FROM PRIOR SHOWS. AND IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW, WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO A POINT BY POINT DISCUSSION OF THE LATEST BOOK THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, ON THIS PROGRAM. LET'S MOVE TO OUR FIRST QUESTION. A PERSON WRITES TO US. TEACHING SCIENCE IN PUBLIC SCHOOL, I HANDLE THE CREATION STORY BY TELLING STUDENTS THAT OUR IDEA OF TIME IS DIFFERENT FROM GOD'S, SINCE GOD IS INFINITE. I TELL THEM THAT I REALLY DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THOSE SEVEN DAYS ACTUALLY OCCURRED. I GUESS THE ONES FROM SCRIPTURE SHE'S REFERRING TO. MY STUDENTS WERE QUITE COOL WITH THAT IDEA. DID I TEACH THIS CORRECTLY? DAYNA. >> Father: DAYNA, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN SOME INTERESTING WORK DONE IN THE GENERAL THEORY OF RELATIVITY. NOW, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT IN YOUR APPROACH TO IT, GOD'S APPROACH TO TIME IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN LET'S SAY, OUR VIEW OF TIME WHICH IS MEASURABLE IN TERMS OF OUR MEASURABLE DEVICES, MEASURING DEVICES. BUT THERE'S AN INTERESTING EXPLANATION AS WELL AS THE SUPER FINE EXPLANATION YOU GAVE. AND THAT WAS WRITTEN UP BY A JEWISH RABBI. I'M FORGETTING HIS NAME RIGHT NOW. BUT I ACTUALLY CHECKED OUT HIS RELATIVITY EQUATIONS. THERE'S A THEORY CALLED THE GENERAL THEORY OF RELATIVITY IN PHYSICS. WHAT IT SAYS, TIME DILATES AS THE MASS DENSITY INCREASES. WELL, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE UNIVERSE, THE MASS DENSITY OF THE UNIVERSE IS EXCEEDINGLY, RIGHT, EXCEEDINGLY DENSE. SO, OF COURSE, WHAT YOU HAVE IS WHAT'S CALLED DURATION DILATION SO THAT ONE SECOND -- ACTUALLY, LET'S JUST TAKE ONE DAY. YOU KNOW, ONE 24 HOUR TODAY, BACK THEN, WOULD BE WORTH SOMETHING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF ABOUT FOUR BILLION YEARS. AND THEN, THE UNIVERSE LOSES DENSITY BECAUSE IT IS EXPANDING. AND AFTER THAT SECOND DAY, THE SECOND DAY IS PROBABLY WORTH ONLY ABOUT 2 BILLION YEARS AND SO FORTH. SO, IF YOU ADD THAT ALL UP, IT'S SEVEN DAYS IN TERMS OF THE DENSITY OF THE UNIVERSE YOU KNOW, ACCORDING TO THE EQUATIONS THAT THIS RABBI, BY THE WAY, I LOOKED AT HIM AND HE PUT THEM RIGHT THROUGH THE REMONIUM TENSOR. AND HE'S CORRECT. THOSE DAYS FAIRLY ADD UP TO 14.8 BILLION YEARS IN OUR TIME. YEAH, YOU COULD ACTUALLY DO A JUSTIFICATION FROM A NATURALISTIC POINT OF VIEW. BUT YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE TO DO THAT BECAUSE IN A WAY, THE WHOLE POINT OF THE BIBLICAL NARRATIVE IS NOT TO GIVE SCIENTIFIC DATA. THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE COINCIDENCE. AND THE POINT OF THE BIBLICAL NARRATIVE IS TO GIVE SACRED TRUTHS NECESSARY FOR SALVATION. WHAT'S WHAT ST. JOHN PAUL II TAUGHT. AND ALSO, WAY BACK IN 1942, THINK IT WAS, IN DIVINO AFFLANTE SPIRITU, POPE PIUS XII TAUGHT THE SAME THING. AND WE DON'T HAVE TO FORCE THOSE SEVEN DAYS INTO THE BIBLICAL NARRATIVE. INTO THE SCIENTIFIC NARRATIVE. BUT IN A WAY, THERE ARE TWO MARBLES AND COINCIDENCE. YOU HAVE A VERY GOOD EXPLANATION, A SUPERNATURAL AND EVEN A NATURALISTIC EXPLANATION FROM THE GENERAL THEORY OF RELATIVITY. AND IF I CAN REMEMBER THE RABBI'S NAME, I WILL TELL YOU DURING THE PROGRAM. >> Doug: WELL, I AM THINKING ABOUT IT TOO BUT I'LL JUST LET YOU REMEMBER IT. I GOT TO GO TO A COMPUTER! NOW, CHRISTIANS AND CERTAINLY CATHOLICS OUT THERE, THEY SAY, WELL, WHEN YOU START PLAYING FAST AND LOOSE WITH THE SEVEN DAYS AND THE DESCRIPTIONS IN GENESIS LIKE THAT, DON'T YOU OPEN UP A PANDORA'S BOX WHERE SUDDENLY EVERYTHING BECOMES ALLEGORICAL IN WHAT'S ACTUALLY TRUE. SO, WHAT'S THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SAY ABOUT THAT? >> THE CATHOLIC CHURCH GOING BACK ALL WAY TO 1942 WITH THE PAPAL ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PIUS XII, DIVINO AFFLANTE SPIRITU, YOU HAVE TO JUDGE ABOUT 20 LITERARY GENRE. AND YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM ARE HISTORICAL LITERARY GENRE AND YOU HAVE TO TREAT IT LIKE HISTORY. SOME OF THE GENRE ARE PRAYERS. AND SOME OF THE GENRE ARE IN FACT STORIES OR ARE ALLEGORIES, RIGHT. AND SOME OF THEM, RIGHT, ARE BIBLICAL NARRATIVES THAT ARE TRYING TO RESPOND TO THE GREAT MYTHS IN WHICH THE ISRAELITES LIVED 1200 YEARS AGO TO UP TO 800 YEARS AGO. AND THEY HAD TO RESPOND TO THE GILGAMESH EPICS AND ABOUT CREATION, GOD, AND SUCH. THESE ARE REALLY BIBLICAL NARRATIVES WITH WHAT WE CALL CREATION STORIES THAT ARE MEANT TO RESPOND WITH THE PROPER SACRED AND SALVIFIC TRUTHS TO THESE OTHER MYTHS, LIKE THE GILGAMESH MYTH. AND NOW, THE FIRST ONE, IN GILGAMESH AND YOU KNOW IS THAT BABYLONIAN? >> YEAH, AND THERE'S A FIGURE, WELL, LET ME NOT GET INTO THAT. BUT THE MAIN THING, IT'S POPULAR AND KNOWN BY THE ISRAELITE PEOPLE. AND IN GILGAMESH, THEY KNOW THAT AND AUTHORITIES OUT THERE SAY, NO, NO. THERE'S ONE GOD. AND IN GILGAMESH, THERE'S A MOON GOD, SEA GOD AND ALL KIND OF DIFFERENT NATURE GODS. AND THE BIBLICAL SCHOLARS ARE CORRECT AND SAY, NO, NO THAT'S NOT TRUE. IN FACT, THE ONE GOD CREATED EVERYTHING ELSE IN NATURE. NATURE IS JUST NATURAL. IT'S A CREATION OF THE ONE GOD. THEN OF COURSE, IN GILGAMESH, MEN AND HUMAN BEINGS ARE JUST PAWNS ON THE VERITABLE CHESS BOARD OF THE GOD'S. MANY TIMES THEY ARE JUST CANON FODDER FOR THE GOD'S. TRULY. TRULY. SO THEY SAY NO, NO -- >> Doug: THAT'S THE TIME, I GUESS, THEY JUST SAY THAT. >> Father: EXACTLY. EXACTLY. GOOD POINT. SO, THE BIBLICAL SCHOLARS SAY, NO, NO, HUMAN BEINGS ARE MADE IN THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF GOD HIMSELF. OF COURSE, THEY ARE PRECIOUS IN THE EYES OF GOD AND GOD WOULD NEVER BE CAPRICIOUS OR UNJUST TO HUMAN BEINGS. SO, THERE'S AN IDEA OF NOT ONLY THE GOODNESS OF GOD'S BUT THE GOODNESS OF HUMAN BEINGS AND MADE IN THE DIVINE IMAGE. NOW, SUDDENLY IT COMES OUT OF THE BIBLICAL NARRATIVE AND FOURTH BIG DIFFERENCE, MATTER, MATERIAL THINGS FREQUENTLY ENOUGH IN THE GILGAMESH EPICS AND OTHER EPICS, IS EVIL. IT HAS AN EVIL COMPONENT. AND GOD, EVERY SINGLE DAY OF CREATION, IN THE GENESIS, LOOKS BACK UPON IT AND SEES, IT IS GOOD. THERE'S THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOODNESS OF NATURE. SO, THESE THINGS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR SALVATION. THEY ARE IMPORTANT SACRED TRUTHS. THEY KEEP THINGS STRAIGHT. THAT'S THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NARRATIVE. THE SEVEN DAYS OF THE NARRATIVE FEATURE THAT THE BIBLICAL AUTHOR CHOSE. AND THERE'S A REMARKABLE COINCIDENCE IN THAT THAT IS WORTH LOOKING INTO, IF YOU ARE A SCIENCE TEACHER. >> I WOULD THINK THE AUTHOR BEHIND THE RELATIVITY THEORY IS THE SAME ONE THAT STARTED EVERYTHING. PROBABLY A GOOD LIKELIHOOD THAT IT MAY COINCIDE WITH ONE ANOTHER, RIGHT? >> Father: YEAH, LET THERE BE LIGHT. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? AS THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION. I MEAN, IT'S FLABBERGASTINGLY CLOSE TO THE WHOLE OF PHYSICS. SIMPLEST FORM OF ENERGETIC MANIFESTATION THAT WE HAVE. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CONCEPTION, THIS BURST OF ENERGY. YOU TELL ME HOW THE BIBLICAL AUTHOR COMES UP WITH THAT ONE? I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY OF THESE REMARKABLE COINCIDENCES AND THEN HUMAN BEINGS BEING MADE IN THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF GOD. THE WHOLE IDEA OF THAT TRANSCENDS THE MORTAL SOUL. THAT'S JUST SOMETHING, THERE HAS TO BE SOME SPECIAL INSPIRATION THERE. I JUST DON'T SEE HOW YOU COME OUT OF THAT, MYTHOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF THE MESOPOTAMIAN ENVIRONMENT 1200 YEARS AGO AND COME UP WITH THIS STUFF. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? AND EVEN IF YOU DATE IT, MUCH, THE NARRATIVE, MUCH LATER, SAY IN THE 6 HUNDREDS OR THE 7 HUNDREDS, STILL, ARE YOU KIDDING ME? IT'S JUST WAY AHEAD OF ITS TIME. SO CONFLUENT WITH THE SCIENCE THAT WOULD NOT EMERGE UNTIL 3,000 YEARS LATER. IT'S VERY INTERESTING STUFF. >> Doug: LET'S MOVE TO ANOTHER QUESTION ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC. BUT SOMEBODY WHO WATCHES OUR SHOW. FATHER, I WATCH YOUR PROGRAM. BUT CANNOT REMEMBER YOU EVER DISCUSSING MORTAL SIN AND ETERNAL DAMNATION. WHAT HAPPENS TO US IN HELL? WHAT IS IT LIKE TO GO THERE? IS IT A MORTAL SIN TO MISS MASS, LIVE WITH YOUR GIRLFRIEND, OR BE AN ATHEIST? MICHAEL THIS IS A DISPARATE DIFFERENT SITUATIONS THERE. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE IDEA OF US AVOIDING THE IDEA OF MORTAL SIN AND HELL. >> Father: WELL, I HAVEN'T AVOIDED IT. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT A LOT WITH RESPECT TO SUICIDE SOMETIMES AND RESPECT TO OTHER LISTENERS' QUESTIONS. BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF REVIEW. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH'S DOCTRINE ON HELL IS THE FOLLOWING. NOW, THERE'S A LOT OF ALLEGORIES AND THINGS THAT HAVE COME UP FROM DANTE AND OTHERS. BUT THESE ARE NOT CHURCH DOCTRINES. THE CHURCH DOCTRINE ON HELL, NUMBER ONE, HELL IS A SELF-DETERMINED, RIGHT, A CHOSEN STATE. SOMEBODY CHOOSES NOT TO BE PART OF GOD AND LOVE AND THE BLESSED. SO, THAT'S THE FIRST PART OF THE DEFINITION. SECONDLY, HELL IS THE ABSENCE OF GOD'S PRESENCE. SO, THEREFORE, IT'S THE ABSENCE OF GOD'S LOVE AND THAT LOVE WHICH KEEPS OUR LOVE AND THE BLESSED'S LOVE IN HEAVEN THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE AN ABSENCE OF THAT IN HELL. THAT'S WHY JESUS IS SAYING THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE WAILING AND GRINDING OF TEETH. YOU JUST GET PLAIN LONELY AND ALIENATED AND EMPTY WITHOUT THIS OVERWHELMING LOVE IN YOUR LIFE. I MEAN, WE'VE ALL HAD THIS SENSE THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE'RE JUST WALKING ALONG AND WE HAVE A DEEP SENSE OF WHAT I CALL COSMIC EMPTINESS, ALIENATION, COSMIC LONELINESS WHERE YOU ARE SAYING, LORD, LORD, WHERE ARE YOU. SUDDENLY THE RADIO GOT TURNED DOWN AND YOU DON'T FEEL THE LOVE AS PART OF YOUR ORDINARY LIFE. THAT'S WHY JESUS SAYS, BEWARE WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO GO AGAINST GOD'S LOVE. BECAUSE THERE WILL BE A REAL LONELINESS, EMPTINESS, ALIENATION, SO PROFOUND THAT YOU CAN'T IMAGINE IT. OF COURSE, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SAYS, GOD IS NOT OUT THERE SENDING PEOPLE TO HELL. WE CHOOSE, SOMETHING WE SEE, IN HELL, THAT WE THINK IS GOING TO MAKE US HAPPY, THE ABILITY MAYBE TO DOMINATE SOMEBODY. OR THE ABILITY TO DO WHATEVER WE WANT AND HAVE LICENSE AND WHATEVER WE WANT. YOU KNOW, IN THE BAPTISMAL PROMISES, DO YOU REJECT SATAN AND ALL HIS WORKS AND ALL HIS EMPTY PROMISES. THAT EMPTY PROMISES PART IS A VERY BIG DEAL. WE CAN GET INTO THE HABIT OF JUST IGNORING GOD, CHOOSING THINGS THAT ARE NOT OF GOD SO WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT, WE ARE AT THE POINT OF THE JUDGMENT. WE WIND UP CHOOSING INSTEAD OF GOD'S LOVE, WE BEEN CHOOSING AGAINST GOD AND LOVE FOR SO LONG, WE JUST GO WITH THE FLOW. THAT'S WHY JESUS IS WARNING, NOT WARNINGS IN THE TERMS OF THREATS. BUT WARNINGS, LIKE, A PARENT WHO IS REALLY WORRIED ABOUT A CHILD CROSSING THE STREET WITHOUT LOOKING BOTH WAYS. IT'S, LIKE, ARE YOU KIDDING ME. THERE'S GOING TO BE WAILING AND GRINDING OF TEETH IF YOU CHOOSE THIS. DON'T CHOOSE THIS. STICK WITH US, STICK WITH ME. STICK WITH THE LORD. STICK WITH MY FATHER. THAT'S THE KEY THING THERE. BACK TO YOUR IDEA OF MORTAL SIN. MORTAL SIN. WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE CATECHISM'S DEFINITION. GO TO GOOGLE AND JUST LOOK UP CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, MORTAL SIN. YOU GET THE DEFINITION. BUT I WANT TO GIVE THIS TO YOU AGAIN. BY THE WAY, YOU CAN DO THE SAME THING, BUT IN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND PUT IN HELL. YOU GET THE SAME THING. PUT IN CATECHISM CATHOLIC CHURCH, MORTAL SIN. YOU ARE GOING TO SEE THREE CONDITIONS. ONE IS CALLED GRAVE MATTER. AND SOME OF THE THINGS, LIKE OUR GRAVE MATTER. SUICIDE IS A GRAVE MATTER. ACTUALLY, LIVING WITH YOUR GIRLFRIEND IS GRAVE MATTER. ALSO, I FORGET WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED WERE. >> TALKING ABOUT GOING TO MASS, MISSING MASS. >> Father: DEPENDS ON WHY YOU MISS MASS. I'LL GET TO THAT POINT IN JUST A SECOND. GRAVE MATTERS, YOU NUMBER ONE. AND NUMBER TWO, SUFFICIENT REFLECTION. AND THE THIRD, FULL CONSENT OF THE WILL. SUFFICIENT REFLECTION MEANS THAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT IT ENOUGH. YOU DO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING WHEN YOU ARE DOING IT. BUT THEN YOU GET INTO THE TRICKIEST AND THE MOST DIFFICULT OF THE CONDITIONS. AND THAT'S CALLED FULL CONSENT OF THE WILL. AND THIS CONDITION MEANS NO IMPEDIMENTS TO THE FREE USE OF THE WILL. THIS IS REALLY DIFFICULT TO DO, MICHAEL. IT REALLY IS. BECAUSE EVEN ST. THOMAS' ELUCIDATION OF THE IMPEDIMENTS TO THE FREE USE OF THE WILL. COULD INCLUDE THINGS NOT JUST LIKE A PROBLEM THAT YOU MAY HAVE INTERNALLY. IT COULD INCLUDE HABIT. HABIT IS AN IMPEDIMENT TO THE FREE USE OF THE WILL. YOU CAN ALSO, NOW WITH PSYCHOLOGY, WE KNOW THAT HOW MANY NEUROSES THERE ARE WHICH ARE IMPEDIMENTS TO THE FREE WILL. WE KNOW THESE PEOPLE COULD BE IN A DEPRESSED STATE THAT AN ORDINARY PERSON WOULDN'T DO. BUT THE REASON THEY ARE DOING IT, SAY, EVEN CONTEMPLATING SUICIDE, THE REASON THAT THEY ARE DOING THIS IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE AN IMPEDIMENT TO THE FREE USE OF THE WILL. THEY ARE DEPRESSED. AND THEY ARE ANXIOUS AND BECAUSE OF THAT. I'M NOT SAYING, YOU EXCUSE YOURSELF ALL THE TIME. BUT WHAT I AM SAYING -- >> Doug: SOMETIMES PEOPLE CROSS OVER AND THINK, WELL, IF YOU TAKE THAT TO THE ULTIMATE DEGREE, WELL ALL OF US HAVE SOME LEVEL OF IMPEDIMENT. >> Father: YEAH. WELL, THAT'S TRUE. BUT ALSO, THERE ARE WHAT I CALL MOMENTS OF GENUINE FREEDOM WHERE YOU HAVE THE CHANCE NOT TO CROSS THE LINE. YOU KNOW BETTER. AND YOU HAVE THE MOMENT WHERE YOU CAN SAY NO. AND YOU GO AHEAD AND YOU DO IT ANY WAY. THAT'S WHEN YOU START GETTING INTO TROUBLE. WHEN THE CHURCH SAYS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL THE FORGIVENESS OF JESUS CHRIST. WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, IF YOU REALLY HAVE COMMITTED A SIN LIKE THAT, YOU DO WANT TO GO TO CONFESSION AND YOU DO, FIRST YOU WANT TO MAKE AN ACT OF CONTRITION. GET TO CONFESSION AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN TO TRY TO GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF. >> AND THE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY HAVE POINTED OUT, YOU WERE ASKING WHAT THE OTHER ONES WERE. ONE OF THEM IS BEING AN ATHEIST A MORTAL SIN. >> Father: ONCE AGAIN, WOULD YOU HAVE TO HAVE SUFFICIENT REFLECTION AND FULL CONSENT OF THE WILL. AGAIN, LET'S SUPPOSE AN ATHEIST, MICHAEL, GROWS UP IN A HOUSEHOLD WHERE SOMEONE HAS JUST BEATEN HIM WITH THE NOTION OF GOD THAT IS SO UNFORGIVING AND SO, YOU KNOW, JUST BASICALLY AN OGRE. AND THE GUY HAS SPENT THE REST OF HIS LIFE RUNNING FROM GOD. IS THIS GUY GOING TO HAVE FULL CONSENT OF THE WILL FOR ATHEISM. ABSOLUTELY NOT. THE GUY IS JUST REACTING. WELL, LET'S SUPPOSE THAT THIS FELLA, WITHOUT EVEN THINKING ABOUT IT RUNS INTO SOME KIND OF FUNDAMENTALIST AND TELLS HIM, YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IN THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER THING. YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT GOD CREATED THE WORLD IN SEVEN, LITERAL SOLAR DAYS, BEFORE THERE WERE EVEN DAYS. AND THE GUY BELIEVES THE PERSON. DOESN'T CHECK IT OUT WITH A PRIEST. DOESN'T GO TO THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. HE JUST BELIEVES IT. AND FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE, HE'S KIND OF REACTING TO, YOU KNOW, THE CHRISTIANS ARE CRAZY. THEY DON'T EVEN CONSIDER NORMAL SCIENCE. WELL, CHRISTIANS DON'T HOLD THAT AT ALL. BUT LET'S SUPPOSE THAT HE THINKS THAT. OR SUPPOSE YOU HAVE A PERSON WHO IS AN ATHEIST BECAUSE THEY ARE IN A PERPETUAL STATE OF UNCERTAINTY, THEY WOULDN'T BE ATHEISTS REALLY. THAT PERSON WOULD BE AN AGNOSTIC. AND I KNOW SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST, THEY HAVE SUCH A HARD TIME CROSSING OVER THE LINE. NO EVIDENCE IS GOOD ENOUGH. AND YOU PUSH THEM AND PUSH THEM AND YOU KEEP GIVING THEM THE EVIDENCE. BVG PROOF OR THE FINE TUNING EVIDENCE. BUT STILL YOU GIVE THEM ALL THESE NEAR DEATH STUDIES AND THEY ARE STILL SAYING, ARE YOU KIDDING ME, ARE YOU JUST GOING TO IGNORE THESE THINGS. OKAY. JUST GIVE ME ONE MORE THINGS. OKAY. HERE'S SOME MIRACLES. HOW ABOUT ONE MORE THING. WELL, THANK GOD IS THE JUDGE FOR THAT. AND I HAVE A FEELING THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE HONESTLY, YOU KNOW, NOT RESPONSIBLE. NOW, IF YOU GET A PERSON WHO SAYS, WAIT A MINUTE. LIKE A FREDERICK NEITZCHE, I DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANY MORAL AGENCY BESIDES ME. I AM ME AND I AM MY OWN GOD. I AM AN UBER MAN. I'M THE SUPER MAN, THE GUY WHO ASSERTS MYSELF OVER GOD AND AS NEITZCHE SAYS, KILL GOD. IN THAT PARTICULAR CASE, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT A GUY WHO IS IN MORTAL DANGER. WHEN YOU GO TO CONFESSION, IF YOU ARE SORRY FOR YOUR SINS, CHRIST SHOWS MERCY BUT THE FATHER REQUIRES JUSTICE. THEREFORE, WE DON'T REALLY GET A PASS INTO HEAVEN, BUT STILL MUST USUALLY GO TO PURGATORY FIRST BECAUSE JUSTICE HAS TO BE SERVED. IS THAT CORRECT? THERESA. >> Father: THERESA, THAT'S NOT EXACTLY CORRECT. I HATE TO SAY IT. BUT ONCE AGAIN GO TO THAT FINE WEB SITE, CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, PURGATORY. YOU ARE GOING TO SEE THE DEFINITION THERE. PURGATORY IS NOT ABOUT GOD PUNISHING AND GETTING EVEN. PURGATORY IS REALLY ABOUT PURIFICATION. AND THE PROBLEM IS -- AND BY THE WAY, I THINK THIS IS THE GOOD SIDE OF THE DOCTRINE ON PURGATORY FOR ME -- DO I THINK THAT I AM GOING TO BE LOVING IN A PERFECTLY TRANSPARENT AND CHRIST-LIKE WAY WHEN I DIE? I DON'T THINK SO. AND THE FACT IS, I REALLY THINK THAT I COULD STILL, EVEN WITH ALL OF THE GOOD MENTORING THAT I HAVE HAD, AND GOOD THINGS THAT I HAVE BEEN GIVEN, I COULD GET TO THE END OF MY LIFE AND I COULD STILL REALLY MAKE SOME STUPID DECISIONS. I COULD STILL BE MEAN-SPIRITED, IMPATIENT, OR WORSE. AND SO, THE THING IS, AM I GIVEN A CHANCE TO WORK WITH GOD, TO PURIFY THOSE DIMENSIONS OF MYSELF THAT ARE WITH HIM. RIGHT. BECAUSE YOU ARE BEING PURIFIED WITH GOD IN HEAVEN. DO I THINK THAT THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN? YES, I DO. AND I THINK THIS IDEA OF PURIFICATION AFTER OUR DEATH IS A REGULAR PART OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY CONTRITE. AND I INTEND TO BE VERY CONTRITE UPON MY DEATH, YOU KNOW, IN TRYING TO BE CONTRITE EVERYDAY. BUT THE POINT OF REAL CONSEQUENCE IS, AT THE END, THERE'S A POINT OF PURIFICATION WHERE WE GOT TO BASICALLY WORK WITH GOD TO PURIFY. HOW LONG WILL THAT TAKE? I DON'T KNOW. MY HOPE IS THAT IT TAKES THE FLASH OF LIGHTNING OR THE BLINK OF AN EYE. THAT'S MY HOPE. WHO KNOWS. I COULD BE THERE FOR A FEW YEARS WITH ALL MY RETICENCE, TO GIVE UP SOME OF MY, YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST SAY EGOCENTRICITY AND MY OBDURATENESS. AND PROBABLY MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE WHILE LONGER. SO, IT'S REALLY ABOUT PURIFICATION. AND NOT ABOUT PUNISHMENT. GOING TO THAT FINE WEB SITE, CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. TYPE IN PURGATORY. >> Doug: AND WE HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION AS WE LEAD INTO THE BREAK. WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW. DEAR FR. SPITZER, FOR THE SAKE OF REFERENCE, WOULD YOU PLEASE EXPAND A LITTLE BIT FURTHER UPON EACH ONE OF THESE TEN UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES FROM LAST WEEK? GOD BLESS YOU, JOHN MARK FROM PHILADELPHIA. I WILL ANSWER FOR FATHER SPITZER I'M GOING TO TELL YOU THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IN THE NEXT HALF HOUR. RIGHT NOW WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A BREAK AND WE'LL REJOIN FATHER SPITZER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BREAK. THIS IS EWTN'S "FR. SPITZER'S UNIVERSE." MUCH MORE AHEAD. WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT FATHER'S BOOK, THE 10 UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE LIFE ISSUES. STAY WITH US, MUCH MORE AHEAD AT THE HEART OF "FR. SPITZER'S UNIVERSE." ♪ ♪ >> Doug: THANKS FOR REJOINING US, WE'RE STILL HERE TALKING ABOUT THE 10 UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES AND WE HAD A QUESTION, WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT. YOU CAN SEE THIS IS A WONDERFUL BOOK AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR RELIGIOUS CATALOG. GET THE BOOK AND FOLLOW ALONG AS WE WORK THROUGH THE BOOK OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. HERE WE ARE, WE'RE REJOINING FATHER SPITZER. WE'RE IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY AND IN A LOT OF WAYS, THIS IS A LIFE MONTH HERE ON EWTN BECAUSE OF THE BIG EVENTS THAT OCCUR IN JANUARY. AND OF COURSE, SOMETIMES YOU MISS OUT A LITTLE BIT ON YOUR TITLE HERE BECAUSE YOU SAY 10 UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES. AND THEN YOU READ A BRIEF PHILOSOPHY OF THE LIFE ISSUES. AND THAT KIND OF HARKENS BACK TO SOME OF THE EARLIER WORK WHEN A LOT OF YOUR MATERIAL HAD TO DO WITH A WHOLE LOT OF THE LIFE ISSUES. CORRECT? >> THAT'S CORRECT. I WROTE A BOOK, CALLED HEALING THE CULTURE. AND I WROTE THIS BOOK BECAUSE I DON'T THINK PEOPLE TRULY UNDERSTAND THE POLITICAL UNDERPINNINGS OF THE PRO LIFE MOVEMENT WHICH ARE IDENTICAL TO THE POLITICAL UNDERPINNINGS OF THE SLAVERY MOVEMENT, ABOLITION MOVEMENT AND THERE'S A REAL PARALLELISM THAT OCCURS AND IT OCCURS WITH THE 10 UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES. JUST IN ORDER TO GIVE PEOPLE THINK, OH, YOU ARE CATHOLIC, THEREFORE, YOU ARE PRO LIFE. YES, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT CATHOLICS DON'T HAVE REALLY GOOD NATURALISTIC REASONS, POLITICAL REASONS, NOT JUST RELIGIOUS REASONS, FOR BEING PRO LIFE. SO, I THOUGHT, WELL, I BETTER EXPLAIN THE 10 PRINCIPLES AGAIN. BECAUSE BOY, IF YOU DENY THESE OF THE PRO LIFE MOVEMENT, YOU ARE GOING TO DENY THEM OF THE WHOLE ANTISLAVERY MOVEMENT, THE ABOLITIONIST MOVEMENT. AND OF COURSE, WHAT'S THAT SAY ABOUT CIVILIZATION'S CIVILITY. WE CAN'T AFFORD TO GIVE UP ONE OF THESE PRINCIPLES. OTHERWISE, OUR CULTURE WILL NOT ONLY LOSE IT'S HUMANENESS, IT WILL LOSE HUMANITY, LITERALLY KILL ITSELF. THESE ARE THE PRINCIPLES THAT HAVE RESCUED US FROM HONESTLY, SINCE THE TIME OF ROME. THESE PRINCIPLES HAVE TAKEN EFFECT AND THE PRINCIPLE OF MALEVOLENCE IS THE ONE WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT, AND AROUND SINCE JESUS, ST. AUGUSTINE, THOMAS AQUINAS, AND THE JESUIT, FRANSISCO SUAREZ WERE VERY INSTRUMENTAL OF BRINGING ABOUT THESE ETHICAL AND RIGHT PRINCIPLES. THEY HAVE INTRODUCED A DEGREE OF HUMANENESS IN THE CULTURE. AND INCLUDING THE UNITED NATIONS ON HUMAN RIGHTS, BAPTIZED THE SECULAR LIFE. THAT'S A LITTLE PUN THERE. BUT IT HAS BROUGHT IT INTO THE SECULAR FOLD AS COMMON PARLANCE. THEY WERE THE UNDERPINNINGS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. THEY WERE THE UNDERPINNINGS OF THE ECONOMIC RIGHTS MOVEMENT WHEN POPE LEO XIII WROTE RAREM NAVARREM AND THEY WERE RIGHT AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR. AND THEY ARE PART OF THE CULTURE AND THEY ACTUALLY, EIGHT OUT OF THE 10 PRINCIPLES COME FROM CATHOLIC CULTURE AND FROM THE CATHOLIC PHILOSOPHICAL AND THEOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT. AND OF COURSE, TWO OF THEM DO NOT. ANYWAY, WE CAN EXPLAIN THAT LATER. >> Doug: LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION. TALKING ABOUT THE LIFE ISSUES. TWO THINGS STRUCK ME. ONE IS THAT SOMETIMES WHEN PRO LIFERS TRY TO RELATE TO THE SLAVERY MOVEMENT AND SAY, SEE, ISN'T THIS THE SAME IDEA. IT SEEMS LIKE THE SECULARISTS TOTALLY DISMISS THAT. YET, THE SAME ARGUMENT IN SOME WAYS HAS BEEN USED IN SOME OF THE GENDER-RELATED ISSUES TO JUSTIFY WHY IT'S OKAY. AND THAT GETS EMBRACED. WHY? >> Father: OBVIOUSLY, AGENDAS CONTROL ISSUES. THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS, I DON'T TEACH UNDERGRADUATES ANY MORE. BUT I USED TO. AND BASICALLY, I KNOW WHAT'S ON THEIR MINDS. WHAT THEY ARE THINKING OF THEMSELVES. WHY ARE WE HERE? WHY ARE WE HERE IN A PHILOSOPHY CLASS. AND THE FIRST THING THAT I NEED TO. >> Doug: TO GRADUATE! >> Father: [LAUGHTER] RIGHT. IT'S A CORE REQUIREMENT! BUT I JUST TELL THEM, HEY, YOU GUYS, THERE'S A WHOLE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T ARGUE ISSUES JUST BY STAYING ON THE LEVEL OF THE ISSUES THEMSELVES. I'M PRO LIFE, PRO CHOICE. BAM BAM AND YOU BASH HEADS AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. AND YOU COME OUT AND YOU DO NOTHING. WHAT PLATO SAID SO LONG AGO. IF YOU ARE GOING TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF MAJOR ISSUES, YOU HAVE TO BRING IT UP TO THE LEVEL OF PRINCIPLES. REMEMBER WHAT A PRINCIPLE IS. THAT'S THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH THAT YOU CAN GET IN LOGIC. WE CALL THOSE EPISTEMOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES, ETHICS THEY ARE CALLS ETHICAL PRINCIPLES. AND GROUNDWORK, FOUNDATIONS OF TRUTH AND ETHICS. AND SAME THING IN POLITICAL THEORY. SO, IF YOU DON'T KNOW YOUR PRINCIPLES, WHY BOTHER ARGUE THE ISSUES? ALL YOU ARE GOING TO DO IS GET INTO A HEAD BARK CONTEST WHICH IS GOING TO GO NOWHERE. AND OF COURSE, THE OLD JESUIT ADAGE, WHICH WE USED TO BRING TO ALL OF OUR COLLEGIATE STUDENTS. NEVER DENY, SELDOM AFFIRM. ALWAYS DISTINGUISH. AND WHAT THAT RULE MEANS, WHAT THAT NORM IS, LOOK, WHEN YOU ARE IN AN ARGUMENT WITH SOMEBODY, DOESN'T DO ANY GOOD JUST TO DENY YOUR OPPONENT'S TRUTH. YOU ARE WRONG, GOODBYE. THAT'S NO GOOD. DOESN'T GO ANYWHERE. IT'S NO GOOD EITHER, GET TO GO YOUR POINT, DOUG, NEEDLESSLY AFFIRM PEOPLE WHEN YOU DON'T BELIEVE IT. YOU WANT TO SAY, SPENCER, I AFFIRM EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAID. BOY, WHAT A GREAT TRUTH YOU HAVE ELUCIDATED HERE AND ALL YOUR PRE SUPPOSITIONS ARE GREAT. THANKS FOR SAYING THAT. WE'RE JUST IN BASIC COMMON AGREEMENT. FORGET ABOUT IT. IT'S NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING. WHAT DO YOU DO? ALWAYS DISTINGUISH. HOW DO YOU MAKE AN APPROPRIATE DISTINCTION? YOU HAVE TO GO TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF THOUGHT. WHAT'S CALLED A HIGHER IDEA. AND THE HIGHEST IDEAS OF ALL ARE PRINCIPLES. THE BULWARK IDEAS. THESE ARE THE ONES THAT NOBODY GENERALLY COMPROMISES EXCEPT EXTREME SKEPTIC, EXTREME CYNIC, OKAY. TRUE ENOUGH. YOU WANT TO ARGUE YOUR OWN EXISTENCE. GO AHEAD. YOU DON'T EXIST. THEREFORE, I DON'T HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO YOU. BUT MOST NORMAL PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO DENY THE LAW OF NON CONTRADICTION. THEY ARE NOT GOING TO DENY THE LAW OF COMPLETE INEXPLICABILITY, NON MALEVOLENCE. AND YOU KNOW, THEY SET THE CONDITIONS FOR THEIR OWN MALTREATMENT OR FOR THERE BEING NO TRUTH AND IN WHICH CASE THERE'S NO POINT THIS TALKING TO YOU ANY WAY. THAT'S THE GREAT PART OF PRINCIPLES. AS ARISTOTLE SAYS, THERE ARE PRINCIPLES THAT CANNOT BE DENIED WITHOUT GRAVE CONSEQUENCES TO YOURSELF, TO THE TRUTH, AND OF COURSE, TO YOUR OWN PROTECTION UNDER THE LAWS OR ETHICS. SO, THEY ARE GREAT. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. >> Doug: AND IN THIS, YOU TALK ABOUT 10 UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES AND YOU BREAK THEM UP INTO FOUR SECTIONS. ONE PRINCIPLES OF REASON, PRINCIPLES OF ETHICS, JUSTICE, AND NATURAL RIGHTS. THAT, AND FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF IDENTITY AND CULTURE. WHY DO YOU GROUP THEM TOGETHER THAT WAY? >> Father: BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY THEY KIND OF EMERGE IN HISTORY. PHILOSOPHICALLY. AND OF COURSE, THEY BECAME THEIR OWN SCIENCES. SO, THOSE FIRST THREE PRINCIPLES, TRUTH, LOGIC, THOSE BECAME THE AREAS IN PHILOSOPHY CALLED EPISTEMOLOGY AND LOGIC. AND THEY ARE ONE YEAR THAT STUDIES, SAY, IN COLLEGE. AND THEN WHEN YOU GET TO ETHICAL PRINCIPLES, THOSE ARE GROUNDING THE WHOLE STUDY OF ETHICS. AND THE ONES FOR POLITICS AND NATURAL RIGHTS, THAT'S WHAT GROUND SOCIAL ETHICS. SO, THOSE THINGS, THEY KIND OF, OVER THE COURSE OF HISTORY, THEY DEVELOP. AND THEN THEY DEVELOPED INTO THEIR OWN SCIENCES. AND IDENTITY AND CULTURE, THAT REALLY IS GROUNDED IN THE PRINCIPLE OF BENEFICENCE WHICH IS THE GOLDEN RULE OF JESUS WHICH WE CAN TALK ABOUT IN A LITTLE BIT AS WE MOVE MORE DEEPLY INTO THE BOOK. NOW LET'S GO AHEAD, JUMP A LITTLE AHEAD IN THE CHAPTER. I WAS THINKING ABOUT YOU TALKING TO YOUR CLASS. BECAUSE YOU TALKED ABOUT, IN HERE, THE IDEA OF OUR CULTURE HAS A VERY GOOD SIDE. WANTS TO BE PLURALISTIC, ACCEPT PEOPLE AND ACCEPT THEIR OPINIONS AND TO BE GRACIOUS. THAT'S A GOOD SIDE OF THE CULTURE. THE DIFFICULTY OF COURSE, IS EVERYBODY'S OPINIONS ARE NOT EQUAL. WHEN SOMEBODY HAS A PERFECTLY UNTRUE OR A PERFECTLY SELF-DESTRUCTIVE OPINION, YOU REALLY DO WANT TO POINT THIS OUT. YOU DON'T DO THEM ANY FAVORS BY ALLOWING THEM TO SORT OF SELF PERPETUATE IN A FALSITY OR SELF DESTRUCTIVE OPINION. OR ANOTHER DESTRUCTIVE OPINION, AN OPINION THAT DESTROYS OTHER PEOPLE. SO, YOU BASICALLY WANT TO CORRECT THAT. SO, AGAIN, YOU DON'T WANT TO MAKE THAT SENSITIVITY WITHIN THE CULTURE TO BE ACCEPTING. YOU DON'T WANT THAT TO OVERRULE TRUTH. NOW, THE WONDERFUL PART IS, IN SCIENCE, WE DON'T DO THAT. WE WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO ACCEPT A TRUTH. IF YOU COME UP TO ME AND YOU SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, REALLY I BELIEVE STILL IN EARTH CENTRIC SOLAR SYSTEM. AND I SAY, NO, NO. HELIOCENTRIC. AND THAT'S WHAT'S CORRECT. AND OF COURSE, YOU LOOK AT IT AND YOU GO, NO, NO. I'M REALLY EARTH CENTRIC. AND THEN YOU SAY, OKAY, THAT'S GOOD. THANK YOU FOR THAT. I RESPECT YOUR OPINION. WELL, I DON'T RESPECT YOUR OPINION. NO SCIENTIST RESPECTS YOUR OPINION. YOU ARE JUST DEAD WRONG. WE HAVE A TON OF GOOD VALIDATABLE, EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE TO SUBSTANTIATE THAT. HEY, WAIT A MINUTE HERE. WE DON'T DO THAT IN SCIENCE. AND BY THE WAY, WE DON'T DO THAT IN LOGIC EITHER. TAKE THE LOGIC TEST. AND YOU ARE AFFIRM THE CONSEQUENCE OR YOU KNOW GAIT THE ANTECEDENT, IT'S WRONG. AND WHO IS GOING TO ARGUE. WELL, ACTUALLY, I HAVE HAD STUDENTS ARGUE WITH ME ON IT. BUT THAT'S A WHOLE OTHER THING. IT'S PRETTY FUNNY. SAME THING, YOU DON'T DO IT ON THE MATH TEST. THE MAST TEACHER DOESN'T GO, NOW, WHY DID YOU PUT THIS ANSWER DOWN WHICH IS CLEARLY FALSE. WELL, I ACCEPT YOUR OPINION. A SQUARED BUT B CUBED IS C SQUARED. NO, IT DOESN'T. NO, NO. IT SIMPLY DOESN'T WORK AND YOU CAN PROVE THAT. >> Doug: SOUNDS LIKE SOME OF MY WORK IN COLLEGE THERE. >> Father: EXACTLY. >> Doug: I THOUGHT THOSE RECORDS WERE DELETED. >> Father: WELL, IF I TELL THE KIDS IN CLASS. AND I SAY, HOW MANY OF YOU HERE BELIEVE THAT EVERYBODY'S OPINION SHOULD BE EQUALLY AFFIRMED. HONESTLY, I WILL GET 35-40% OF THE CLASS AT LEAST WHO RAISE THEIR HAND AND SAY, THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN SCIENTIFICALLY INVALIDATE IT MATHEMATICALLY, ET CETERA. >> THAT'S WHAT YOU SAY RIGHT IN THE BOOK. AT THAT POINT, YOU SAID 50%. GOOD INTENTION LEADS TO CONFUSING THE GOODNESS OF HUMAN BEINGS WITH THE GOODNESS OF THEIR OPINIONS. AND YOU GO TO SHOW THAT IT'S ALL RIGHT TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE CONTENT OF THE GOOD OPINION AND THE CONTENT OF THE BAD OPINION. BUT LIKE YOU SAID, TO SOME DEGREE, ISN'T IT SOME HOW WE THINK ABOUT THE WORD OPINION NOW ALMOST EQUATING OPINION AND THINKING WITH FEELING AND THE IDEA THAT, WELL, YOU CAN'T REALLY TELL ME HOW I FEEL ABOUT SOMETHING BECAUSE HOW CAN YOU DO THAT? >> Father: YEAH. YOU KNOW, HERE'S -- OKAY. THAT'S WHAT WE USE THOSE THREE PRINCIPLES FOR. THE FIRST PRINCIPLE IS TRYING TO LOOK FOR, NON CONTRADICTION. SO, WE WANT TO AVOID CONTRADICTIONS. AND THE SECOND PRINCIPLE IS ESSENTIALLY ATTEMPTING TO HAVE THE MOST COMPLETE OPINION YOU HAVE. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN SCIENCE, RIGHT, NEWTON COULD EXPLAIN A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT THE PHYSICAL UNIVERSE. BUT EINSTEIN CAN EXPLAIN MORE THINGS. SO, WE SAY, IN LOGIC, THAT THE OPINION WHICH SUBSTANTIATES AND EXPLAINS THE MOST NUMBERS OF THINGS WINS. AND FURTHERMORE, WE SAY THE SAME THING RELATIVE TO THE IDEA OF GROUNDING OUR EVIDENCE IN WHAT WE CALL AN OBJECTIVE FORM OF EVIDENCE. SO, WE'RE TRYING TO GROUND IT IN SOMETHING THAT'S PUBLICLY VALIDATABLE, WHAT WE CALL APRIORI OR APOSTERIORI EVIDENCE. AND IF WE CAN DO THOSE THREE THINGS. THEN WE HAVE A MUCH MORE VALIDATED VIEWPOINT AND OF COURSE, I CAN EXPLAIN EACH PRINCIPLE IN GREATER DETAIL IN JUST A MINUTE. >> WELL, WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF SHOWS TO DO THAT. WE'LL TAKE OUR TIME. AND THAT WILL WORK OUT FINE. LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION. RIGHT IN THE BEGINNING ON THE CHAPTER OF PRINCIPLES OF REASON, IT SAYS THAT WE ATTRIBUTE A KIND OF SANCTITY TO THE WORD TRUTH AND ALLOW IT TO GROUND OUR FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS OF THE MEANING AND PURPOSE OF LIFE. RECENTLY, SOMEBODY MADE A BIG SPLASH ON TELEVISION AND CENTRAL TO THE WHOLE THING WAS THAT PEOPLE, AND THEIR OWN TRUTH. JESUS CHRIST IS TRUTH. WE TALK ABOUT TRUTH. BUT WHAT DO WE MEAN BY TRUTH? >> Father: YEAH, EXACTLY. I MEAN, I CAN GIVE YOU THE THREE TYPICAL CRITERIA UPON WHICH PLATO AND ARISTOTLE GROUNDED THEIR VIEWPOINTS. LATER, THAT GAVE RISE TO THE MATHEMATICAL REVOLUTION, RIGHT. AND THEN LATER, THAT GAVE RISE TO THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION WHICH IN TURN ARE THE SAME THREE TRUTHS THAT WE VALIDATE TODAY. AND BY THE WAY, NO ONE IN THE MATHEMATICS LOGIC OR SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY, LET ALONE IN WHAT WE WOULD CALL METAPHYSICAL OR TRANSCENDENT COMMUNITY WHO CAN BASE IT ON NATURAL PRINCIPLES, NOBODY BELIEVES THAT YOUR OWN TRUTH COUNTS. WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW IS THREE THINGS. NUMBER ONE, HAVE YOU CONTRADICTED YOURSELF. RIGHT? SO, IF YOU ARE GOING TO SAY IN YOUR OWN TRUTH THAT YOU ARE BOTH 6'3" AND 6'4" IN THE SAME RESPECT, AT THE SAME TIME AND SAME PLACE, I'M NOT GOING TO BELIEVE YOUR TRUTH. BECAUSE I CAN PUBLICLY SHOW THAT IT IS INCORRECT. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO BE 6'3" AND 6'4" IN THE SAME RESPECT AT THE SAME PLACE. AND A SQUARE CIRCLE OF THE SAME AREA, IN THE SAME PLACE AND TIME. YOU CANNOT HAVE IT. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE OF COURSE FINITE THINGS, THEY EXCLUDE ONE ANOTHER AND THEIR RESTRICTIONS AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY SHOW THAT A CONTRADICTION IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ALL POSSIBLE UNIVERSES, FOR ALL PLACES, AND FOR ALL TIMES. SO, IF YOUR TRUTH IS CONTRADICTORY, YOUR TRUTH IS WRONG. NUMBER TWO, GOING BACK TO WHAT I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT WITH EINSTEIN AND NEWTON, MOST COMPLETE EXPLANATION WINS. SO, IN SCIENCE, EVERYTHING DEPENDS ON HAVING A THEORY THAT CAN EXPLAIN THE MOST DATA. SO, IF YOUR THEORY LEAVES OUT FOUR IMPORTANT THINGS. NEWTON'S THEORY, FOR EXAMPLE, OF THE UNIVERSE, WHICH WAS A REALLY GREAT THEORY UP UNTIL THE TIME OF THE MICHAEL [SOMEBODY] ORALLY EXPERIMENT AND NOW 30 OTHER EXPERIMENTS. NEWTON'S THEORY WAS REALLY GOOD. BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT COULDN'T EXPLAIN A LOT OF DATA. SO, YOU HAD TO HAVE A NEW THEORY. AND EINSTEIN COMES UP WITH THE GENERAL THEORY OF RELATIVITY WHICH IS A MUCH BETTER THEORY WHICH EXPLAINS MUCH MORE DATA. NOW, IF YOU WANT TO GO BACK AND SAY, MY TRUTH IS NEWTON'S TRUTH. FINE. BUT YOUR TRUTH IS A WRONG TRUTH. BECAUSE EINSTEIN'S TRUTH ACTUALLY CONTRADICTS YOUR TRUTH AND EINSTEIN'S TRUTH EXPLAINS MORE. AND WE'LL SHOW YOU WHY THAT IS THE CASE. AGAIN, OF COURSE, THAT'S SECOND MAJOR PRINCIPLE THAT MITIGATES THE IDEA OF A COMPLETELY SUBJECTIVE TRUTH. >> Doug: WELL, LET ME ASK YOU THIS. WHAT STOPS US THINKING THAT MAYBE IN 10 YEARS SOMEBODY IS GOING TO COME ONE ANOTHER THEORY OR MAYBE THEY ARE WORKING ON ONE ALREADY THAT NEGATES EINSTEIN. SO, HOW DO YOU KNOW AT THE TIME WE'RE LIVING WITH IT, I'M LIVING AT THE TIME OF NEWTON, NEWTON IS RIGHT. I'M LIVING AT THE TIME OF EINSTEIN, HE'S CORRECT. AND I'M LIVING AT THE TIME OF SPITZER COMING OUT WITH HIS THEORY, THE SPITZARIAN THEORY. SO, WHAT'S THAT. >> LET'S GROUP TRUTHS INTO FOUR KINDS. AND SEPARATE THEM OUT. FIRST KIND OF TRUTH, WE CAN CALL A MATHEMATICAL TRUTH. THAT WOULD BE A TRUTH THAT WE CAN KNOW FOR ALL POSSIBLE UNIVERSES AND TIMES THAT ACCEPT OUR, WHAT'S CALLED MATHEMATICAL AXIOMS. SO, IF YOU ACCEPT OUR AXIOMS, I CAN SHOW YOU IN THIS UNIVERSE, IF THERE WAS ANOTHER UNIVERSE, IT WORKS IN THAT UNIVERSE AS LONG AS YOU ACCEPT MY AXIOM, I CAN PROVE TO YOU THIS IS TRUE. BECAUSE IF YOU DENY IT, IT WILL BE A CONTRADICTION. SECOND KIND OF TRUTH IS WHAT WE CALL LOGICAL AND METAPHYSICAL TRUTH. NOW, LOGICAL AND METAPHYSICAL TRUTH ARE BASED ON THE SAME THING, APRIORI AND APOSTERIORI EVIDENCE ELAN. NON EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE, NON CONTRADICTORY EVIDENCE ALONG. PURE LOGIC AND PURE METAPHYSICAL TRUTHS, YOU CAN SHOW EVERY STEP OF THE TRUE, METAPHYSICAL TRUTH. LET'S SAY THE PROOF FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD. GO TO MY BOOK, NEW PROOF FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD, GO TO CHAPTERS 3, 4, AND 5. THERE YOU SEE METAPHYSICAL TRUTHS OF GOD. NOTICE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, YOU HAVE TWO CONSEQUENCES IF YOU DENY THAT THERE IS AN UNCONDITIONED REALITY OR THAT THERE'S ONLY ONE UNCONDITIONED REALITY OR THAT THE UNCONDITIONED REALITY IS A UNRESTRICTED REALITY OR THAT THE UNCONDITIONED, UNRESTRICTED UNIQUE REALITY IS A CREATOR OF ALL ELSE THAT IS. IF YOU DENY ANYONE OF THOSE FOUR CONCLUSIONS, YOU EITHER HAVE TO DENY YOUR OWN EXISTENCE. THAT'S ONE OF THE CONSEQUENCES. OR YOU HAVE TO MAKE AN OUT AND OUT INTRINSIC CONTRADICTION. THAT'S TO SAY, THERE COULD BE A SQUARE CIRCLE OF THE SAME AREA WITH RESPECT OF THE SAME AREA AND SAME PLACE IN TIME. BOTH OF THOSE BASICALLY WHAT WE CALL EPISTEMOLOGICALLY UNACCEPTABLE. AND I HAVE STUDENTS THAT SAY, I DENY MY OWN EXISTENCE. AND I SAY, GOOD, THEN YOU ARE NOTHING AND I DON'T HAVE TO PAY ANY ATTENTION TO YOU. SOME GO FOR THE CONTRADICTION. I'M GOING FOR THE SQUARE CIRCLE. AND I'M SAYING, GOOD FOR YOU. I WANT YOU TO SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE PROVING THAT BABY. HACK YOUR WAY OUT OF THAT. NOW, WE CAN'T SAY THAT, WE HAVE TO USE THE GEOMETRICAL DEFINITIONS HERE. AND THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT, IN THOSE PARTICULAR CASES, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ACTUALLY, WITH LOGICAL METAPHYSICAL PROFESSION, LIKE THE PROOF FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD, YOU CAN PROVE EVERYTHING WHERE YOU HAVE TO DENY YOUR OWN EXISTENCE OR MAKE AN OUT AND OUT INTRINSIC CONTRADICTION WHERE IT IS UNACCEPTABLE. GOD EXISTS. AND THAT'S NOT SUBJECT TO NEW DISCOVER I DIDN'T SAY BECAUSE THAT'S BASED ON APRIORI NON CONTRADICTORY EVIDENCE. AND THEN YOU GET INTO SCIENTIFIC TRUTHS. SCIENTIFIC TRUTHS ARE HYPOTHETIC AND THAT'S VERY TRUE. THING WITH SCIENCE, SCIENCE BEGINS WITH EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE. EVERYTHING HAS TO BE OBSERVATIONAL DATA. BY THE WAY, I APPRECIATE SCIENCE TO THE HILT. BUT THERE IS THIS ONE LITTLE ACHILLES HEEL IN THE SCIENTIFIC TRUTH. THAT'S BECAUSE IT MUST BEGIN AND END WITH EMPIRICAL DATA. ALL WE CAN DO IN SCIENCE IS FIND THE BEST POSSIBLE THEORY TO EXPLAIN ALL THE DATA THAT WE KNOW AT ANY GIVEN POINT IN TIME. SO, WE SAY OF A SCIENTIFIC TRUTH, THIS IS THE MOST ACCURATE PORTRAYAL OF NATURE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE. WHY DO WE PUT IT THAT WAY RATHER THAN SAYING, THIS IS THE TRUTH. LIKE, THE EXISTENCE OF GOD OR THE PYTHAGOREUM THEORUM. WHY DON'T WE SAY, THIS IS THE TRUTH. BECAUSE SCIENTISTS DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW UNTIL THEY HAVE DISCOVERED IT. LET ME REPEAT THAT. SCIENTISTS DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW UNTIL THEY HAVE DISCOVERED IT. SO, IN OTHER WORDS, NEWTON DIDN'T KNOW THE DATA FROM THE MICHAELSON EXPERIMENT. THEN IT GOT DISCOVERED. AND THEN, WE HAD A SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION. RIGHT? AND OF COURSE, SCIENTISTS DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS DISCOVERED IN THE QUANTUM REVOLUTION, RIGHT? SO, THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE VIOLATIONS OF THE BELL AND EQUALITY. THEY JUST DIDN'T HAVE THAT. AND THEN THE ASPECT EXPERIMENT COMES ALONG AND ALL KINDS OF ENTANGLEMENT EXPERIMENTS COME ALONG AND YOU GO, ALL OF A SUDDEN, OH MY GOSH, THERE'S A WHOLE OTHER DIMENSION OF REALITY WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT. AND SO NOW WHAT WE DO, WE TALK ABOUT THE RELATIVITY REVOLUTION, QUANTUM REVOLUTION AND THE INTEGRATION OF THEM IN SOME UNIFIED FIELD AT SOME POINT IN TIME. GRAVITATION AND QUANTUM THEORY MAY BE COMPLETELY INTEGRATED WITH RELATIVISTIC MECHANICS. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, OF COURSE, THAT'S THE BEST SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION OF NATURE THAT WE HAVE UP TO THIS POINT. YOU CAN'T USE THIS STEPHEN HAWKING DEAL. YOU CAN'T COME ALONG AND SAY, HEY, LOOK, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THE UNIVERSE SUCH THAT WE NOW KNOW THAT THE UNIVERSE DOESN'T NEED A CREATION. YOU CAN'T MAKE THAT STATEMENT. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE IN SCIENCE. BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THE UNIVERSE SO THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY SAY THAT. TOMORROW WE COULD MAKE A DISCOVERY, YOU KNOW, THROWING THE WHOLE THING OFF AND PRODUCE A WHOLE NEW VIEW OF NATURE. IT'S AN IMPOSSIBLE STATEMENT TO MAKE. SO THAT'S WHY WE DO ALLOW FOR SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTIONS. WE DO ALLOW IN HYPOTHETICAL DEDUCTIVE REASONING. WE DO ALLOW FOR SCIENTIFIC TRUTHS TO BE MODIFIED AND EVEN SOMETIMES RADICALLY CHANGED FROM TIME TO TIME ACCORDING TO THE NEW DATA. >> Doug: AND WITH THE TIME THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE LEFT FOR US -- >> THAT'S CALLED INTRASUBJECTIVE. >> Doug: YOU ARE GETTING WAY AHEAD OF ME. >> AND YOU DON'T WANT TO MESS WITH THE MIND OF THE MYSTICS MYSTICISM. >> Doug: AND WE HAVE TO TAKE A MYSTICAL BREAK AS THE SHOW IS WRAPPING ITSELF UP, FATHER. GIVE US A BLESSING. SAVE THE GOOD STUFF FOR THE NEXT TIME? OKAY. GIVE US A BLESSING. >> Father: OH. MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU, MAY HE MAKE HIS FACE TO SHINE UPON YOU AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU. MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU WITH KINDNESS AND PEACE. IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN. >> Doug: THANK YOU, FATHER, WE SHALL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK. GOD BLESS. AND OF COURSE, DON'T FORGET, FOLKS, WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE 10 UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES, GETTING THE BOOK THROUGH OUR EWTN RELIGIOUS CATALOGUE AND MOTHER ANGELICA'S WONDERFUL BOOK THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER AS WELL ON THE SHOW, GOD HIS HOME, HIS ANGELS AND CHECK THAT OUT THROUGH THE RELIGIOUS CATALOG. AS A REMINDER, WE HAVE GREAT PRO LIFE EVENTS, MARCH FOR LIFE ON 19TH AND WALK FOR WEST COAST L.A. COMING UP AT THE END OF THE MONTH. I'LL BE WORKING ON THAT WITH FATHER JOSEPH. GREAT MONTH OF PRO LIFE. ALL TO BE FOUND EVERY WEEK RIGHT HERE IN "FR. SPITZER'S UNIVERSE." HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT TIME. ♪
