Robert T. Fertig - Culture Crisis: Truth Shall Prevail

We begin with Being & Life Truths , since this subject provides a humanistic foundation for all the other topics on truth. Science explains the what? and how? Philosophy and Spirituality, and Ideology explains the why? of our existence, which undeniably requires both reason, and faith or t rust.

Subjects are thematically grouped into ten chapters. This book is a guide that builds a bridge between what many believe, and what skeptics question, using theories and discoveries in various newly explored areas. We are at a special time in human history because of recent scientific breakthroughs that are changing some mistaken theories by earlier experts. Some relevant texts also include materials compiled by this author, during the past half-cen tury.

We not scientists, philosophers, or theologians. We are simply thinkers, who wish to share with you Words of Wisdom, from recognized past and present scholars that are essential and also fascinating. The major building blocks of this book edifice is what Scientists, Scholars and Scripture contributed. This writer selected, paraphrased, interpreted, and summarized what they produced, while fashioning a few thoughts of my own, and then put it all together into a style that todays generation may find more suit able.

Analogies, metaphors, anecdotes, charts and images are used to liven up the presentation for my readers. Throughout this book we have tried to faithfully present a balanced dialogue both pro and conon many difficult topics, particularly on todays Ideology. There is no real search for truth for anyone standing outside generally agreed definitions, assumptions, without considering accepted facts, traditions, and communities of truth see kers.

Todays more educated and skeptical young adults are vulnerable to many peer-pressures, and mass media blitz, that attack objective truths, and traditions. Hopefully, this book may provide Words of Wisdom to help defeat some of these false ideologies that have become truths in many of todays text books. To be sure, all of the burning issues of our times will not be answered fully by this work, but at least a dialogue will have begun for sincere truth seekers, that will empower them against some of these mistaken ideolo gies.

Thomas Aquinas contended in Summa Contra Gentiles and Summa Theologia , in his dialogue with Arab and Jewish thinkers of his time: There should not be any discrepancy between faith and human reasoning. Our heart cannot worship that which the mind cannot consent to. Both the light of reason and light of faith come from God; hence there can be no contradiction between them. Faith therefore has no fear of reason, but seeks it out and has trust in it Faith is in a sense an exercise of thought and human reason is neither annulled nor debased in assenting to the contents of faith, which are in any case attained by way of free and informed ch oice.

St. Augustine put it more succinctly : I believe, in order to understand; and I understand, the better to bel ieve.

This author hopes that this wide-ranging work will help men and womenespecially, todays skeptical young adultsfind answers to questions about science, society, spirituality, and ideology that have serious consequences for our t imes.

This work is a kind of dialogue between me and various scholars, as well as reflections on issues that have bothered me for a half-century. This is a book for all people: Christians, Muslims, Atheists, which considers many perplexing questions that trouble todays youth and adults. As Augustine wrote: In faith, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, love.

Some of the proposed answers in this book are argumentative. Nonetheless, controversy and deliberation leads to comprehension. Our need to inquire, to explore, to probe appears to be in our genes at birth, along with our urge to eat, and compulsion to have sex and procreate. If our system of knowledge has taught us anything during past centuries, it is this: retreating from the truth and human curiosity is unreali stic.

To believe is nothing other than to think with assent Believers are also thinkers: In believing, they think and in thinking they believe If faith does not think, it is nothing .--Augus tine .

No single person can be an expert in all the topics covered in this book. Some topics, questions and proposed answers are summarized in one short paragraph, while others required multiple pages to merely scratch the surface on these complex issues. My method in this work is to give you the Essence of the Truth , while providing multiple viewpoints, wherever poss ible.

NOTE: This book is structured into topical modules, that allows readers to pursue information that suits their particular interest. We suggest readers jump to topics of specific interest to them, and later review in more detail other topics that may be of less inte rest.