When you read what follows below, keep in mind that it is intended to illustrate the difference between relativism and objectivism. It is not intended to suggest that different religions (or different denominations) are properly understood as relativistic or as properly understood objective.  Whether or not a religious perspective is only relatively true or objectively true is a different question.   Religion is used here beause it is a well-known phenomenon in which 'lines' that demarcate different groups can be easily drawn.

 

Religious Relativism and Religious Objectivism


 

Relativism with respect to a moral principle- the moral principle applies only to certain groups, individuals, etc.It does not apply to those who are not members of the group.
 

Objectivism with respect to a moral principle- the moral principle applies to everyone.It is true PERIOD to use the expression I used once before.It applies to me even if I donÕt know about it, if I know about it and reject it.If I happen to disagree with the moral principle, then I am mistaken.
 


 

As far as these definitions go, one could conceivably think that some moral principles are relative, while others are objective. Of course, what you think about whether or not they are relative or objective is not relevant.Moral principles that are relative are relative, and those that are objective are objective.


 

TWO views about Catholic morality:
 

How a religious relativist who is a Catholic would explain morality.

 

Catholic morality provides the proper moral standard for Catholics; Lutheran morality provides the proper moral standards for Lutherans; Islamic morality provides the proper moral standards for muslims; Hindu morality provides the proper moral standards for Hindus; and so on...

 

Moral principles are true relative to a particular religious perspective.  It may be the case that some moral principles are common to more than one religious perspective, but that just happens to be so.  The moral principles of catholic morality do not apply to people other than catholics (unless the moral principle is shared).  No morality is better or worse than any other.No morality is superior, no morality has a greater claim to being the right morality.  The latter claim presupposes that there is an more general morality that applies to all and in virtue of which the particular morality that more closely reflected this morality has a greater claim to be the right view.  And this latter presupposition is precisely what religious relativism denies.
 

How a religious objectivist who is a Catholic would explain morality.
 

Catholic morality, in fact,the proper moral principles for humanity-- all humans are bound by these moral principles, because they are the TRUE moral principles, and hence, they apply to all whether all believe them to be the true moral principles or not.  Lutherans, Muslims, Hindus, all others, may believe that they are right (whether they are relativists with respect to religion in general, or objectivists with regard to their own view).  But these other views are mistaken.However sincere these others are in their beliefs, however easy it is to explain how these others have come to have these beliefs, however difficult it is to tell them that their beliefs are mistaken, their beliefs (where they conflcit with the Catholic view) are mistaken.  There is one true God, He is the source of truth with respect to morality, and he is the God of Catholicism.


 

Other religious perspectives may be objectivist about their own perspective.The view of Islamic objectivism is that the principles of Islamic morality are binding on all, whether they are believers or not.All others are holding mistaken views.