If you've read my previous post, you'll know that the point of The Little Apologist is to defend Beauty, Goodness, and Truth. Why would I do this, you might ask?
Beauty, goodness, and truth are widely known in philosophy and theology as Transcendentals. These are concepts that transcend time and space and have and will always exist, independent of anything else existing.
What does this have to do with God?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us:
All creatures bear a certain resemblance to God, most especially man, created in the image and likeness of God. The manifold perfections of creatures - their truth, their goodness, their beauty all reflect the infinite perfection of God. Consequently we can name God by taking his creatures' perfections as our starting point, "for from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator". (CCC 40,41)
Everything that is good, true, and beautiful leads us more fully to understand the nature of God. When one pursues beauty, goodness, and Truth, one cannot help but find God, who is beauty, goodness, and truth itself.
How is this possible?
Let's break it down:
Beauty-
Think of something beautiful. Witnessing a marriage. A brand new baby. An awe-inspiring sunset on the beach. These beautiful things certainly are not God, but they draw us to Him- the creator of all things. He is reflected in His creation and in all that is beautiful.
Goodness-
Saint Thomas Aquinas explained that there are different levels of goodness. For example, a human is more good than, say, a cow and deserves protection, simply by human nature. A cow is more good than the blade of grass it steps on or the muddy floor it sleeps on in its barn. If there are certain levels of goodness, then there must be one, ultimate Good. Something that is literally goodness itself. God.
Truth-
Truth is defined as "that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality." God, the creator of all things, knows everything and knows it perfectly in His omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence (That is to say, He knows all, has control of all, and is present everywhere, at every time, simultaneously). God is Truth itself.
So why must we defend these transcendentals? Aren't goodness, beauty, and truth generally things we all gravitate towards? Sadly, in recent years there has been a rise in relativism- the ideology that what is true for one person may not be true for someone else, and vice versa. This has led to many things and ideas that, frankly, are evil and destructive, to be seen as good, true, and beautiful, rather than as they are. It gets so confusing.
There is hope. Beauty, Goodness, and Truth will always exist because God will always exist. If we can show others that God Himself is who they are seeking when they seek what is good, true, and beautiful, they will not be able to help but find themselves drawn to Him. As I said before, When one pursues beauty, goodness, and Truth, one cannot help but find God, who is beauty, goodness, and truth itself.
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