Frames¶
A frame is a set of ideas through which to interpret the world. Some call frames ideologies. However, this term has a negative connotation. It is important to note that a frame is a necessary thing to survive in this world. Without a frame we cannot function as we are unable to interpret the information and thereby respond to it.
Here we will go through some of the common frames it will be demonstrated that Roman Catholicism is the proper frame through which to view the world.
Marxism¶
Marxism is based on conflict theory. The idea here is that everything can be explained in terms of conflict between the powerful and the powerless. These conflicts can be in the form of socialism (rich vs poor), feminism (men vs women), racism (white vs black vs han) etc. Any idea that disputes your sides version of the story can be dismissed as lies propagated by the other side. This effectively makes Marxism unfalsifiable and therefore very difficult to overturn.
Liberalism¶
Liberalism is a kind of a meta frame. This frame holds that we cannot know for sure, which frame is real. Hence, let us not favor any frame. All frames are equal and should be forced to fight each other for turf.
Liberalism has its roots in the Spring of Nations, which was a series of revolutions that sprung up throughout Europe in the 19th century. Liberalism is a precursor to Marxism and is also based partially on conflict theory. Liberals divide the world into themselves and conservatives. Conservatives want to maintain their status quo and their existing power structures since existing power structures have a certain amount of inertia. It is necessary to paint themselves as liberators and their opponents as oppressors. The narrative here is that people who oppose them are from the so-called “Dark Ages” and they are the “Enlightened” ones.
Liberalism has certain properties of being a Ponzi scheme in the sense that earlier liberals gain enormous advantage at the expense of later liberals. This is because once the revolution succeeds the Liberals become conservatives. However, the arena is still divided into liberals and conservatives. New brand of conservatism spring up to defend the earlier systems put in place after the revolution. The new “liberals” are fighting for at least the principles of the original revolution since through that they were indoctrinated.
What this means is that there is a specter of political battle, but regardless of whichever side wins, the war is won by the earlier fraction. This is however excludes the Marxist which is the reason for the liberal hatred for Marxists.
Roman Catholicism¶
Roman Catholicism is the third and most important frame in the world. However, most people do not recognize it as a separate frame since there is a truce between liberals and Catholic since Vatican II. This is mostly because most sides were more terrified of the Marxists than with each other.
Pascal’s wager¶
Since both sides promise riches to its adherents we will use Pascal’s wager to undermine both. Imagine that Catholicism is true. If it is, the reward is infinite (eternal bliss in heaven) while the coast is finite (suffering in this world). If any other frame is true instead the benefits are finite. However, if you subscribe to any other idea and the whole system is false your cost is infinite.
Now, there is one way to get out of this. Let us create a religion which favors the opponents completely. Let us assume there is a Supreme Supercomputer of Atheism that sends all theists to hell. In this case, the net benefit of every religion is ∞ - ∞, which is undefined.
It would not help you eliminate Catholicism, but now you have undermined reason and truth seeking. Why? This Supreme Supercomputer of Atheism is basically God (because of omnipotence) and you are being rewarded for your lack of belief in God. So truthseeking and hence reason can no longer be a good thing and it must be denounced. However, if you denounce it, there is no reason to believe you in the first place.
Now since you don’t have a frame you cannot function which means your only chance is to go crazy. Catholicism does not have this problem since it begins with faith and reaches reason from there. Thereafter, it comes back to faith and creates a mutually benefitial cycle. For this reason, the investigation must go as described in previous section.