What IS good, and how do we determine it?

[Catholic_Lady]

Some things depend on the circumstances, others are inherently immoral regardless of circumstances. This one in particular depends on the circumstances. But let me make it clear that I believe it still does have a definitive answer as to weather or not it is moral.

^All this per my beliefs, of course.

"This one in particular" is a phrase that translates to every moral situation, Cathy. The thing is, when you start using phrases like that, your morality becomes granular: this pebble and that pebble touch but don't connect, you get similar ideas but no overarching principles -- and that is what objective morality really is, the proclamations of overarching ideas.

Your individuality rebels against it, because you know that things like the rape of war brides, or the slaughter of noncombatants, is wrong.  But because they're in the Bible, you feel compelled to defend the indefensible.

I see what you're saying. But my point is that even though it isn't as easy to determine as an act that is inherently immoral, it still does have an answer. It still is either right or wrong. It just isn't as easy to determine which it is and you have to look at the circumstances to determine it. But there still is an answer. Moral relativism, to my understanding, means that there is no real answer. That it just depends on whatever the person thinks.

(btw, I do think those things you listed are wrong and would never defend them. Randy and I have different views on that.)

By that I meant that no one is perfect, so no one is going to do everything the right way all the time. We just have to continue to try our best.

Having been an active Catholic my whole life, I can tell you that Catholicism is not about guilt.

So you don't do confession? I thought that was required to receive sacrament.
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I do go to confession when I've acted badly... usually it's lashing out at my husband. I have never for one second felt as though Catholicism is about guilt. That has not been my take away at all.

And you only need to go to confession before a sacrament when you've done something particularly bad. The every day wrong things don't require confession before receiving a sacrament. But it's still always good to go anyway.