What IS good, and how do we determine it?

[Metis]

Well for the record, I definitely don't think rape is moral. It is, in fact, one of the things I have listed as inherently immoral.

As for all the bible talk about rape, I will say that the Catholic Church is silent on the proper interpretation of many biblical passages, and Catholics are free to interpret them literally or allegorically. While I see them strictly as didactic fiction, Randy seems to have taken a more literal view. To us Catholics, regardless of some of the stories in the OT, the Church most certainly does teach that both slavery and rape are contrary to human dignity and thus immoral. And I think at the end of the day, that's really what matters. In the grand scheme of things, and as long as Randy and I both adhere to Church teaching, whether or not we interpret these stories in the same way, is just details.

Whether you view the story as allegorical or literal, it in no way portrays rape as immoral. Just saying that is allegorical does not answer the questions about why its sanctioned by god, it seems like just a way of avoiding the question.

It's true what she's saying though, I suspect Randy is a former Protestant as I can detect a strong American Evangelical vibe to much of his personal theology. It's not heretical but it's rather different from the more traditional, ethereal/indefinable approach of Catholic_Lady which is more usual amongst "Cradle Catholics".