Almost from its first moments, the 21st century has been plagued by insecurity and doubt; the disputed election of 2000 has given rise to such a pervasive habit of political cry-babyist-conceit that a graceful concession speech has become the grown-up exception rather than the selfless rule. Tolerant America, which managed after the September 11th attacks of 2001 to make clear distinctions between peaceful Muslims and radical Islamists, has lately”“perhaps because her leadership seems unwilling to use meaningful words to maintain those necessary distinctions”“become confused about who to trust on that score….
This decade of believe-what-you-want truthiness has been disorienting and exhausting, and it makes the upcoming meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and Elizabeth II of peculiar import, for both of these octogenarians know all too well what happens when governments and ideologies loom too large, and distortion carries the day.
From the article, this exchange in 1945 between Guenter Grass
and the 19-year old Josef Ratzinger …
“I said, there are many truths,†wrote Grass. “He said, there is only one.â€
Even at the age of 19, Ratzinger knew how to handle relativism.
Impressive. That was decades before we came to know of
“pluriform truths”. There is indeed only one TRUTH.