Friday, April 28, 2023

Goodness or holiness?

One of the most interesting points made Dennis Prager in his conversation with Matt Fradd about pornography and masturbation, is that what he care about when he is talking about how to live is not being a saint, but being a good person.  I think if you look at what Matt Fradd is trying to explain to him about the Catholic understanding of sexuality is that it is precisely saints that the Church wants, not just moral goodness. Sex itself, and not just marriage, as Prager affirms, can be holy, not just good. In fact, it should be the goal to make it holy, to make it a genuine act of love of the other, a holy, bodily union. As Leon Bloy famously said, the greatest tragedy in life is not becoming a saint. I think Prager may not agree. I wonder how much Prager reflects Judaism more broadly, or is his a specific approach to Judaism?

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