Thursday, February 20, 2014

The Root of the Gender Identity Confusion: False Freedom


Here is my short response to the philosophical presuppositions of the evermore prevalent gender theory confusion. The problem is the absolutizing of the human will. The basis of this vision is that liberty is neutral (without any referent outside of the self) and is the foundation of everything.

My course work involves examining the origins of the skewed idea of liberty, with no grounding in truth (at the bottom of the gender theory ideology): viz. that pure freedom is the foundation of everything. The philosophers of modernity who are the historical origin of this contemporary idea (e.g. Kant, Fichte, etc.) claim that the self creates itself, free from any other influence outside of it (and Fichte defines God in this way: => we are all God, i.e. radically free, creating self as God does). Freedom, in this system, becomes the foundation of all.

There is an double error in this: we are not God, and, the one true God does not create Himself

God does not create Himself
According to Aristotle, God is the causa, increata! The uncreated first cause (unique absolute foundation of all, Who Himself [unique among all things that exist] requires no foundation [in God alone Existence is His Essence). Everything else that exists is caused by Him ontologically (in their very act of existing, and not just chronologically).

We are not God
Personal liberty is directed toward the good, it has an ultimate aim (it is not just for it's own sake, and it certainly does not create itself: it is firmly based in the nature of the human person and the nature of things and upon the Creator of all things). Freedom is grounded upon the good and it is always directed toward the good. Therefore, (and here is the catch) true human liberty is an absolute foundation of human existence and consciousness but always linked to the good (which is presented to us by right reason): and, ultimately, the ultimate good: seeing God face to face (in the face of Christ): beatitude (the beatific vision in heaven).

That is why "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God..." John 1:1 ff.
It does not say that in the beginning was the will or the freedom but the Word (the living, known, and articulated, and interpersonal, Truth).

And again: "if you remain in my Word, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free!" John 8:31-42. 
Again, the foundation is the communion with the Truth, the Word. Freedom is always in intimate communion with Truth (in God freedom and truth are one reality: and in us too, they go together necessarily (we have one insofar as we have the other, but we are imperfect in our possession of them both): we are only free if we are in the truth, and insofar as we are in the truth, we are free).

The problem is the thought behind gender theory. Liberty is good, but it is determined by the good. Even our assessment of it as good is a proof of it's grounding being elsewhere, there is a higher law than just human willfulness: reality, nature, the truth, the good, God! Otherwise we could not even  say that liberty is "good." If liberty (without any reference to truth and goodness) were the ultimate foundation, then evil is good and good is evil, etc. it all depends on you! That explains Marx, Stalin, Hitler, Hugh Hefner, homosexualism, etc. If freedom has no content, than anything goes.

However, the Word, is the Creator and constant ground of all existing things! And you can know Him and love Him and live your life with Him and for Him. His name is Jesus Christ: one in Being with the Father! In fact, you will be you only insofar as you are in Him, all the while realizing your own unique individual existence: really and truly free!

Qua libertate Christus Christus nos liberavit. Gal. 5:1
Conocereis de Verdad