Navigating Moral Relativism: The Catholic Church’s Response in Contemporary America
Abstract
The aim of the article is to show how moral relativism has become a defining feature of contemporary American culture, influencing individuals’ attitudes toward ethics, marriage, family, and social order. Additionally, the article aims to highlight the challenges facing the Catholic Church in fulfilling its mission in a society immersed in moral relativism. The problem of this study can be expressed through the following questions: What impact does moral relativism have on the moral beliefs of the people of the United States? What challenges does it pose to the Catholic Church in the 21st century? How is the Church to fulfill its mission in American society? The answers to these questions will be based on an analysis of the content of the documents of the universal Church and the Church in the United States, as well as publications by American theologians and sociologists. After a short introduction, the impact of moral relativism in the sphere of sexual ethics will be analyzed. Subsequently, the effects of moral relativism on marriage and family will be examined, along with relativism in the sphere of social order and organization. The final section of the article will analyze proposals for the pastoral activity of the Church in the United States in response to the challenges posed by moral relativism. The conclusion of this study is as follows: the more a society moves away from traditional norms and belief in God, the less happy individuals become. The Church must navigate the moral complexity of modern society while offering a compelling vision of human life rooted in the Truth.
Keywords:
moral relativism, Catholic Church, 21st century, ethics of sexual life, marriage, family, organization of social life, common goodReferences
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St. Thomas University
Ks. Grzegorz Rozborski, kapłan Archidiecezji Detroit w Stanie Michigan, USA, doktor w zakresie nauk teologicznych. Doktorat pt. Social and Cultural Changes of the 21st Century in the United States of America as a Challenge for the Pastoral Care of the Catholic Church przygotował pod kierunkiem ks. prof. dr. hab. Wiesław Przygody w 2024 roku na Wydziale Teologii Katolickiego Uniwersytetu Lubelskiego Jana Pawła II w Lublinie. Jego praca naukowa skupia się na badaniach nad zmianami społeczno-kulturowymi w Stanach Zjednoczonych w XXI wieku, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem takich procesów jak: sekularyzacja, relatywizm moralny, globalizacja oraz rozwój technologiczny, jako wyzwanie dla duszpasterstwa Kościoła katolickiego.
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