The world is awash in bad ideas, and far too many people are willing to accept them at face value. In the parts of the world where the Church accommodates by moving away from its teachings, the Church is suffocating in an ocean of relativity. In the parts of the world where the Church stands firm on truth as an act of charity, it thrives as a lighthouse.

Many question how the Church’s teachings and doctrine are relevant in the world today. The curious get into the voluminous published materials that not only explain the what, but the why. A great place to start is the Catechism, which provides bite sized summaries with plenty of cross-references and footnotes to flesh it out.

Church teaching is not arbitrary, but a system of logic that stitches together what it means to be human and how to live a good and fulfilling life.

This is a confusing time, where our phones provide us with access to bad ideas that would never flourish in a world of more filtered and limited communications. It is incumbent on us to challenge and scrutinize these ideas. When we challenge them, what do they yield?

Unpacking the truth on which the Church stands reveals a self-reinforcing understanding of the human person and man’s place in the world. It is an understanding that yields unrivaled deference to the dignity of the human person and stands opposed to any idea, action, or law that seeks to degrade that dignity.

It’s a truly radical philosophy, but one that opens up a world of fulfillment, joy, and peace for those who have the courage to raise their questions and see what the Church says in response.