Do We Need Certainty Regarding Dogma?

This post is a slight adaptation of a comment I recently left at the website Called to Communion. If you have not already, I highly recommend making the site a regular part of your reading diet.

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The question of "epistemic certainty" was germane to my own spiritual journey. Albeit, I did not dip my toe in the Tiber because of it, but I certainly did begin to question the basic framework of my ecclesial home which eventually led me to Rome.

Mixer-upper of ontology
and epistemology

Let me just say, that in epistemology there are distinguishable features of “knowing”. For any type of knowledge we have, we can recognize and distinguish (1) the knower, (2) the thing known and (3) the method by which we know a thing. On 1 and 2, we agree with our Protestant friends. I make this point because often questions of epistemology in Catholic and Protestant dialog quickly devolve into conversations about “total depravity” or “the nature of revelation”. I am willing to grant the one who holds to “total depravity” that, in fact, they know stuff despite their theological commitment to a position that seems to undermine the possibility of any kind of certainty with regards to the function of their fallen cognitive faculty. That is besides the point, because I can move that fact to the bottom and top of the fraction for both of us and redact it out of the formula.

We also agree that the deposit of faith comes to us from God, and thus is a supernatural object of knowledge. Therefore, we agree fundamentally as to the nature of the knower and the nature of the thing known. However, we disagree fundamentally on the methodology by which we know the thing. This, I think, is the onus of Michael Liccione's article, and the reason the Protestant should click over to it, read and wrestle with it; keeping in mind the distinct epistemological contention he raises.

In short, the distinction between opinion and dogma, which outside of theology just means opinion or fact, should shed light on what is at stake. In short, the credibility of Christianity is at stake. Think about it. It would appear that for all species of knowledge accessible to the human faculty, there is a principled method by which humans can agree, if used, will result in certain knowledge (e.g., observation, historical study, abstraction, etc. — and in theology, dogma). “Certain” here not meaning the removal of all doubt (for we are irrationally prone to it), but rather meaning a certain trust in the credibility of a method that produces results worthy of assent. The ball drops twice. George Washington is always the first president. A=A. Then comes theology.

The Catholic position does not thrust upon theology something external to itself. It is not, as some have alluded, a wanting for more than God would have us have. It is, in fact, simply asking of theology what is requisite itself for attaining something more than just opinion in general, and since theology is a supernatural object, it is fitting that it would require a supernatural methodology (of courses in harmony with natural processes). This just means we are being human as God has made us. If God did not want us to have certainty regarding theology, then he would have created us without rational minds. If we did not have rational minds, then we would be fine if the ball drops and does not drop, that there is no rational principle in the world or in the mind of God, and that it does not matter what baptism really does as long as you believe something (an approach to the world more resembling Islam than Christianity).

To hold to this principle, the principle of what I will call “theological nihilism”, flavored with a positivism imbued by an evangelical vigor, is to act less than human. It is to look at the image of God in you and to reject it in favor, ironically, of your own opinion. This, of course, is the sin of Adam: to become less than human by becoming the autonomous man. The primacy of the individual conscience bit Adam in his soul, for between the fruit and his mouth was a decision that he knew better — that somehow his latest interpretation of the commandment was more enlightened than his previous interpretation.

The Church, the ground and pillar of truth, is the principled method by which we can distinguish between opinion and fact. I can “tell it to the church” (Matthew 18:17), and get an answer that if I reject, I become as a tax collector or pagan.

That is the “difference”.

The Chair of St. Peter

From the Combox...Testing God & Certainty

Mrs. Anonymous is back and with another question (you can find her first two here and here). First, let me say that her questions are always welcome and in her case I take no offense at her hiding under the pseudonym "anonymous". She does not take pot-shots at me under that pseudonym, so I find her even asking a question to be courageous to begin with. She recently asked in the blogger combox [My comments in blue and a full response after]:

"I really enjoy reading your blog and I'm very sorry for being a "Mrs. Anonymous," but I have good reason to be...and it's not for lack of courage, I can assure you. Now, if I were disrespecting you under cover of anonymity, then I could understand your distaste [Normal people understand this]. However, that is not the case with me. I greatly appreciated your post in response to my further questions (sorry I didn't reply to it earlier, but life was busy) [I UNDERSTAND--just glad you are still reading!]. I would like to tell you that I am not sure what to think right now about Catholicism. I find myself being intrigued by, even hoping that, the idea (sorry, but at this point, for me, it's still just an idea) that the Catholic church might actually be all that it claims. However, I don't know how to be sure [question 1]. I've even prayed, "Lord, if this is the Truth, then please draw my husband toward it, too, without my prompting. Then, I'll know for sure." But, then, that would be testing God or asking Him for a sign, would it not [question 2]? I don't want to be like the guy on his roof during a flood who keeps praying for God to save him...you know the story, right? I mean, what if your blog (which sparked my interest) is like the helicopter that God has sent, but then I wave it away saying, "No thanks, when God gives me a sign, it will be more clear..." Perhaps you might say God is drawing me, but if He is, then wouldn't He draw my husband, too? We don't have children yet and I really don't want to raise kids if Mommy is Catholic, but Daddy is Protestant [question 3]."

Wow! What wisdom. I think I may change this blog's name to "Christ's Helicopter for His Church!" (ooh, that would make a nice header) As an aside, one thing I love about pentecostals is that they are spiritually perceptive. You show a lot of wisdom in understanding that God is using the experiences you are even having now to draw you closer to Him. He certainly is. To your questions, for the sake of communicating clearly, I want to break them up into three different ones and then answer them directly:

1. If God is drawing me, wouldn't he be drawing my husband too?

Maybe, but not necessarily. We are all in different places in our lives. God knows the end and the beginning at the same time (Alpha and Omega). When he draws one spouse, he may be drawing them as a means of drawing the other spouse. I obviously do not know in your specific situation. However, I would encourage you to continue to pray and allow this journey to change you for the better. Even though you will know more as it goes on, don't become the "know-it-all". Listen more, and be more attentive to what your husband has to say regarding matters of faith. Don't just look for what he says that you may be learning is not true, but try to find the things that he is affirming or are implicit in his statements that in fact you see are affirmed by the Catholic faith.

That is one of the things I try to do on this blog. Show people that we believe a lot of Catholic "stuff" or that our rejection of certain Catholic notions is a hypocrisy in lieu of other Christian sensibilities we have.

The relevant portion of the Catechism of the Catholic Church says (assuming a "Jesus-only" invalid baptism):

"In marriages with disparity of cult the Catholic spouse has a particular task: "For the unbelieving husband is consecrated through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is consecrated through her husband." It is a great joy for the Christian spouse and for the Church if this "consecration" should lead to the free conversion of the other spouse to the Christian faith.141 Sincere married love, the humble and patient practice of the family virtues, and perseverance in prayer can prepare the non-believing spouse to accept the grace of conversion." CCC 1637

2. Can I test God?

Easy answer, no (Luke 4:12). I want to qualify this, though. Can you ask God to "help my un-belief"? Of course. How he does that is up to Him. Let's be honest with each other. This whole Catholic thing has got you scared. I know, I was in your shoes. You may be starting to realize that either:

A. The Catholic Church is the Church Jesus Christ, himself, founded

OR

B. She is the great whore from the book of Revelation dragging men and women to hell

If A or B, OH MY!!! Both send spiritual chills down your spine but for opposite reasons. Good, we are on the same page. Asking God to "give you a sign" may not be wrong if what you are asking is "God, help me to see the truth here". God knows your heart, I don't. Be honest with Him--which from your comment appears you already are.

3. How can I know for sure?

This could be an entire post or a series of posts. Instead, I will redact it down so as to make this as easy as possible:

When we say "for sure" we mean certainty. In thinking about certainty, there are two possible answers:

A. A psychological state whereby one cannot be convinced otherwise because there is not a smidgen of doubt

OR

B. We have a reasonable confidence correlative to the type of knowledge we are talking about.

"A" does not exist. We can doubt ANYTHING. Is it rational to doubt anything? Absolutely not, but that is besides the point. We can. Therefore, let's dismiss A and discuss B.

There are different types of knowledge and therefore different types of certainty (you can read more about it here). I won't be exhaustive here, but let's think about three different types of truth claims:

1. If I drop this ball, it will fall to the ground

2. 1 is not, not 1

3. The Catholic Church is the Church Jesus founded

#1 is a statement of "physics". We can verify this through our sense experience alone (empirical) using reason. Is our understanding of the physical world ever foiled? Sure. Nonetheless, we can have physical certainty about some facts without always living in some type of tension or state of doubt. In other words, if you jump off of a roof, you are certain that you will hit the ground.

#2 is a statement of metaphysics. It flows from both the law of identity (A=A), but ultimately is an expression of the law of non-contradiction (A≠ not A). This simply means (as Blessed Scotus would say), "to be burned and not to be burned are not the same thing". We do not know this by physics but by metaphysics. Hence, if your friend tells you that she has a bank account, you do not then tell your other friend that she does not have a bank account. You don't say this simply because you do not want to lie, but rather that it is a law of thought that governs how we think.

#3 is a moral statement. What I mean is that you or I have to make a judgement, whereas in #1 we follow the cues, and #2 we deny at our own peril. Let's think about number #3 in a different way. How do you know "for sure" that you were born in the city your birth certificate claims? Certainly not in the way you know #1 or #2. So, you have to make a judgement. The Catholic Church has always taught that one can know certain universal characteristics of God through human reason alone (Romans 1:20). Like one would go about identifying the "Founding Fathers", the Catholic Church can be identified as the "Church Jesus founded". Search history and examine for yourself.

What next? If the Catholic Church is the Church Jesus founded, and Jesus is God-Incarnate, then...

Peace to you on your journey