Faith | Blogger Priest

Evil Persons or Just Persons Doing Evil Acts?

Posted on December 30, 2024 by Father Joe

I read a recent posting that quoted the Russian orthodox priest, John of Kronstadt, on the matter of evil. He said that evil is simply “a chance misfortune, an illness, a devilish reverie.” He went on to say, “But the very essence of the person is the image of God, and this remains in him despite every disfigurement.” I immediately felt a need to make a qualification. It is broken down into thirteen points.

First, it is true that every human person is made in the image of God. However, this is a characteristic of every human being, both the Christian and the unregenerate. This speaks to the natural dignity of all human beings.

Second, our spiritual adoption as sons and daughters of the Father through faith and baptism takes this to a higher supernatural level. This adds upon our human dignity, divinizing or perfecting our nature by grace. Even the damned in hell were made in the image of God, it is more important that we should be remade into the likeness of Christ through the transformative power of divine grace.

Third, the essence of a person is the core of who he is. This sense of identity is intricately tied up with all the things that make each of us who we are— our values, faith, relationships, learning, emotions, etc. This is the awareness of self that we take with us in our trajectory of existence. Angels are purely “spiritual persons.” Men and women are “human persons,” literally spiritual-corporeal composites. A human person is neither a corpse nor just a ghost. That is why the resurrection of the body is essential. (The infused soul is understood as the locus for the mind and will. Dietrich von Hildebrand would also distinguish the “heart”). Jesus as the Son of God shares our human nature and even has a human soul; however, he is also the eternal Logos or Word and is thus a “divine person.” Personhood answers the question, “Who are you?” Jesus is God.

Fourth, the Catholic faith has a rich Christian anthropology that targets the human person, the plight of sin (both personal and original), his awareness, the matter of conscience, the value of virtue and the detriment of vice, and the supernatural impact of both sanctifying and actual grace.

Fifth, evil is not a mere accident like stumbling over a rock. While we reject strict determinism, nothing really happens by chance. The mysterious providence of God both directs an active divine intervention and permits a passive tolerance for natural maladies and the use and misuse of human freedom.

Sixth, fault is always on our side of the equation. All moral evil has a human or angelic agent. The primordial fall itself unleashed the further calamity of natural evil. Creation is good but damaged.

Seventh, while evil or sin might be likened to an illness or contagion, our Lord has given us the remedy in faith and the sacraments. More than a devilish “reverie,” evil is a negation, a miscalibration— more a deception than a fantasy.

Eighth, while our Lord can forgive evil acts, they cannot be blindly excused. Our Lord surrenders his life for sinners, as an act of satisfaction or propitiation for sin. He pays the price we cannot pay. Mercy is real but justice must be preserved. We must want to be forgiven. We must know a disposition in faith and sorrow for forgiveness. Indeed, it is evil that makes the incarnation and the subsequent redemptive act of Christ so very crucial. The gravity of evil is not in the acts but in the “persons” that commit them. We are properly formed by sacrifice and virtue. We are disfigured by selfishness and vice. The saints cooperate with divine grace and live out the commandments in love. The damned reject the favor and helps of God, preferring rebellion and self over others and the Lord. Putting it bluntly, if you do bad things then you may become a “bad” man or woman.

Ninth, our likeness to Christ can be forfeited by serious sin. It is a dogmatic teaching that there is no such thing as absolute evil, either angelic or human. Such would constitute the absurdity of metaphysical negation. This teaching is linked to the teaching of hell and the divine economy against annihilation. Nevertheless, evil need not be absolute to be damning. Unrepentant sin and hubris corrupt the person and distorts the likeness made possible by grace. While repentance and conversion are possible, a pattern of iniquity makes it increasingly unlikely. Such people become what Dr. Scott Peck calls “the People of the Lie.” While the Lord’s mercy is immense, his judgment is real and severe.

Tenth, priests would have penitents confess evil acts but ultimately their focus is upon the status of the person. Absolution is directed toward a person needing forgiveness and healing. A condition for mercy is sorrow for sin and amendment of life. The priest wants to fill the void left by sin in the person. The devil has nothing to give. We need both sanctifying and actual grace. A person without such grace is like the walking dead. Evil does not have to be absolute to be terrible and disfiguring. A Picaso painting of a person might be judged as a masterpiece, but if anyone actually resembled it, he or she would be judged a monstrosity. Any natural goodness becomes mute if we should die and face judgment while in deadly sin. Again, one can be evil without that iniquity being absolute. Such evil does not even require us to clearly hate God or neighbor. Indifference and not caring is sufficient to damn a soul.

Eleventh, most if not all of us wear masks, even virtuous men and women. Humility might hide the advanced compassion and holiness of a good person. We would urge the saints not to hide their light under a basket as it can guide others to the truth. Some would argue that sin and evil is a mask that certain people place before their goodness as creatures made in the image of God. I suspect that what is more common is a mask of false sanctity and charity worn to disguise that which is foul and selfish. There are also plenty of wolves in sheep’s clothing seeking to devour the flock. Is that not part of the scandal around abusive clergy? Yes, and about this we need an intense transparency. Evil must not be allowed to hide. Martin Luther argued for juridical imputation— that one is saved by disguise, literally allowing Jesus to stand before us and the Father. Catholicism would claim transformation— that the heavenly Father must see his Son alive inside of us. The plight of sin is that it would deprive us of this indwelling and that supernatural advancement of human nature.

Twelfth, if evil can be a mask, it is a poor one that always disfigures our likeness, even when it is removed through divine judgment. Just as we can be perfected by grace, we can become corrupted by vice— we literally become the lie. I am reminded of an episode of The Twilight Zone entitled “The Masks.” Taking place on Mardi Gras, a dying man coerces his family members into wearing grotesque masks reflective of their dark personalities. When it comes time to remove them, their faces are found to be molded into the ugly caricatures. Sin is more than hiding behind a lie. One can also become the lie.

Thirteenth, Jesus speaks to how evil disfigures the person. Referencing the ungodly and hypocritical, he states: “You belong to your father the devil and you willingly carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). He also says: “Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets; now fill up what your ancestors measured out! You serpents, you brood of vipers, how can you flee from the judgment of Gehenna?” (Matthew 23:31-33).

I become so infuriated with a presumptuous Pollyanna faith. We must remember that saints are made on earth, not in heaven. Salvation is a gift, but we must truly desire the gift. We are not promised perfect happiness in this world and death will not procure it for everyone. Evil is real and it is more than an accident or a mask to the good. It infects and corrupts and disfigures the person. Hell is real and the damned fashion it in the here-and-now. They carry it around with them. Like Milton’s Satan, they can cry out, “I myself am hell.” The tragedy is that many resist the grace and mercy of God. The two great motivations in the life of every Christian should be to worship the Lord and to save souls. Love is indeed the answer, but too often it is found wanting. We fail to pray. Many neglect the Mass. Too many are indifferent to the poverty, pain and oppression of others.

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What Did the Pope Say about Interfaith Dialogue?

Posted on September 14, 2024 by Father Joe

Pope Francis left his scripted remarks and spoke “spontaneously” to the youth of Singapore on Friday, September 13, 2024. The Holy Father made a distinction between a courageous person who seeks the truth as a “critical” thinker and the critic with “endless words” who offers “destructive criticism.” He asked them this question, “Do you have the courage to criticize but also the courage to let others criticize you?”

Impressed with the capacity of youth for interfaith dialogue, he stated: “This is very important because if you start arguing, ‘My religion is more important than yours…,’ or ‘Mine is the true one, yours is not true….,’ where does this lead?” One of the young people answered, “Destruction,” and the Pope responded, “That is correct.”

He went on to say, “Religions are seen as paths trying to reach God. I will use an analogy; they are like different languages that express the divine. But God is for everyone, and therefore, we are all God’s children. ‘But my God is more important than yours!’ Is this true? There is only one God, and religions are like languages that try to express ways to approach God. Some Sikh, some Muslim, some Hindu, some Christian. Understand? Yet, interfaith dialogue among young people takes courage. The age of youth is the age of courage, but you can misuse this courage to do things that will not help you. Instead, you should have courage to move forward and to dialogue.”

He went on to speak about the need for respect and the danger of bullying. He concluded by saying, “And now, in silence, let us pray for each other. In silence. May God bless all of us. In the future, when you are no longer young, but you are elderly and grandparents, teach all these things to your children. God bless you and pray for me, don’t forget! But pray for, not against!”

Is the Holy Father’s emphasis the methodology of dialogue or the reality of God as revealed in world religions? I suspect it is the former. It is true that interfaith dialogue does not go very far when the different sides disrespect and deride each other. People of conviction feel that they are right and take exception to challenges toward what they believe. Pope Francis is correct that we must resist the temptation to argue and name-call. Civility demands that we temper our emotions, especially against criticisms that are quickly taken to heart and are painful. Those of us with pugnacious natures, instinctively want to hit back. History is largely written with such a lack of toleration that leads to violence, censorship, holy wars, torture, imprisonment and even death. The language of hate allows for no dialogue and little in the way of successful debates. Instead of discussing ideas, there is a harsh attack against persons— the opposition are decried as “heretics,” “heathens,” and “infidels.”

Each of us likely believes that his or her religion is the best or the truest, such is even the case for atheists who posit their non-religion or anti-religion as having a higher epistemological value. As Catholics, the most resolute believers are correct to maintain that our faith is the genuine revelation of God through the mediation of Jesus Christ. The New Covenant is the consummation of the Old. Both Judaism and Christianity are judged as true religions. Of course, a natural religion has been surpassed by a supernatural religion that understands God to be both one and a Trinity. Other religions may have elements of the truth, but they are also weighed down by serious errors. Traditionally, apologetics would list all the many false teachings and practices of these other belief systems. By contrast, Pope Francis is saying that this is not where dialogue begins. Such an approach closes minds to the truth and to any possible consensus. It is best to begin dialogue by examining the elements of faith that are shared. This will vary between creeds. Catholics and Jews both embrace Abraham as our father in faith. We have taken the Hebrew Scriptures as our own. Islam also believes in one God and claims facets of a shared revelation. The Hindus are arguably polytheists, but some of their modern-day teachers suggest that their many deities may in truth be manifestations of a single God. Where such thinking will go, I cannot say. Even if there should be no or little congruence on matters of theology, dialogue can be judged as successful if we learn to live in peace and to work together for a better world where human rights and freedoms are respected.

Yes, religions are seen as paths to reach God. However, we as Jews and Catholics understand religion as also the story of how God comes looking for us. There is a two-fold movement. God establishes relationships (covenants) with his people. The analogy of religions as different languages to express the divine is accurate. Left unsaid is that some languages are better in their evocative and descriptive power. Christianity not only espouses God-talk but has been given the revelation of how the eternal Word becomes flesh. The lack of such an appreciation is a defect that handicaps all other religions. God gives us his Word in Scripture, but more importantly writes his revelation upon human flesh in the incarnation. Jesus is the face of God and the revelation of the Father. He is the way and the truth and the life. There is no way to the Father except through him. Other religions, if they do not go off in the wrong direction, can only take their adherents to the door of the kingdom; it is Christ that lets us inside. His Church and the sacraments constitute the key to that door.

Are we all God’s children? As in the catechism and at Vatican II, a distinction must be made. Spiritually, through faith and baptism, we are made adopted sons and daughters of the Father. It is in this sense of grace and a new creation, that those of other religions are not children of God. However, the meaning of Pope Francis is in the sense of creation. All in the human family are creatures and children of the earth. Our source is almighty God. Regeneration aside, we are all arguably children made in the image of God. We are creatures of flesh and blood and soul. We are so much more than the animals around us. This notion speaks to human dignity. It is a major element of the Gospel of Life. In or outside the womb, God looks upon us with a Father’s love.

Knowing that he is speaking to a crowd of mixed faiths, Pope Francis asks that they might pray for each other in silence. Notice that he prays that God might bless them, but he refrains from asserting the saving name of Jesus. While we might question timidity regarding the name of Jesus and/or making the sign of the cross, we should remember Pope Francis’ words about courage. Certain Christians will not pray with Catholics. While we can pray the psalms with Jews, it is quite problematical to pray with non-Christians. We do not want to open such young people to rebuke or punishment from their own religious leaders. Importantly, we as Catholics must not subscribe to any form of religious indifferentism or the notion of universal salvation. Silent prayer is probably the best for all in such a situation.

ADDENDUM

Anyone with a smidgen of Italian can appreciate that the text on the Vatican website (yesterday) is not actually what the Pope said to young people in Singapore. Previous popes tended to be more careful with off-the-cuff or spontaneous remarks. Officially, the text that matters is the written one, today on the Vatican website and/or included in the published Acta.

When I was informed about a translation change, I went immediately to the Vatican site. What the hell? The official translation had at least corrected the Pope’s remarks. Now, the Vatican has returned to what comes across as deeply problematical. Last night, the text read, “Religions are seen as paths trying to reach God.” Yes, this is true, regardless as to whether they do so. This morning it has been changed to “All religions are paths to God.” This is not true. Even those in false religions reject this notion. Reading further, the initial papal text asserted, “There is only one God, and religions are like languages that try to express ways to approach God.” Yes, this is true, even defective religions are efforts to approach the transcendent. But the new version is as wrong as wrong can get, “There is only one God, and religions are like languages, paths to reach God.” Not all religions target the true God. Indeed, it is Christ as the term of salvation that makes possible our reconciliation with the Father. None are saved apart from Christ and his Church. Further, not all religions are the same. Satanism and demon worship are counted as religions, but there is no redemption, just alienation and loss. Certain religions worship false gods or even demons.

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What Makes You So Sure That There’s Only One God?

Posted on May 18, 2024 by Father Joe

Krystal Smith poses this question at STAPLER CONFESSIONS and states: “Most believers take the Bible or whatever their religious text may be as absolute truth. This is a matter of faith, something that atheists often have a hard time understanding or relating to. Atheists often point out the unknowable nature of an all powerful creator or concept of God or many gods. Without scientific proof, they find it illogical to believe so strongly in something that plays such an important role.”

Critics of Scripture often play fast and loose with how Christian believers regard and use the Bible. But of course, there is no unanimity between believers either. Protestant fundamentalists who believe in the Bible alone are a far cry away from Catholic integralists who interpret the Bible against the horizon of Sacred Tradition. There is also the tension between private interpretation and magisterial teaching authority. The issue is not just that atheists reject “the book,” but they general question any supposed revelation or communication from God as either delusion or as deception. Many refuse to seriously consider the arguments of either theologians or philosophers. If God cannot be shown through their microscopes or telescopes, then no ground is given for his existence.

While the atheist may find it illogical to believe in a “God” proclaimed from a book and not proven from science to his satisfaction, there may be far more anxiety with the prospect that we are alone and unloved in this vast universe. It is here that Pascal’s wager speaks to the agnostic. Pascal argued that if you believe in God and this truth should be realized, then you win everything. Whereas if he does not exist, then you have lost nothing regardless of your stance. While insightful, this approach is unsatisfactory for the believer because faith is about more than hedging your bets.

The atheist narrows truth to the scientific and even that is restricted by their bias. They make no distinction between the belief of one God and the notion of multiple deities. However, Christians, Jews and Moslems insist that there is a God and he is ONE. True, Christians speak of a Trinity, but he is defined as one divine nature in three divine Persons. The multiple deities of ancient pagans and the present-day Hindus are treated as idolatry and superstition. Here we would agree with atheists. There are indeed counterfeit religions and false gods. The early Christians regarded the pagan gods as demons in disguise. The Judaeo-Christian appreciation of one God signified a step forward to true religion and away from magic.

The pagan gods often behaved badly, and some were not even regarded as immortal. They were more like the Marvel comics vision of such gods as super-powerful aliens. Look at how Catholicism defines and speaks about God. He has within himself all perfections and is the Creator of all things. You cannot have two omnipotent beings because such would cancel each other out. God is perfect and that means he must logically be simple or one. All creatures receive their existence from God or participate or share in his existence. Nothing can exist apart from him. He keeps all things in being.

While we do not see God face-to-face, we know him in the created order from his effects. Revealing himself to us in salvation history, the God of reason becomes the God of faith. He wants to establish a relationship with us. Sacred signs or miracles are performed to help our unbelief.

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Do You Believe People Can Still Be Moral Without Religion?

Posted on May 17, 2024 by Father Joe

Krystal Smith poses this question at STAPLER CONFESSIONS and states: “Religion provides guidance for many people. It set laws and rules for ancient societies to abide by. And many religious people feel these laws are necessary to dictate what is right and wrong for humankind. Many atheists feel that morality is innate and modern society’s laws are sufficient to govern mankind.”

The Church had hoped that a healthy universal respect for natural law would bring consensus and cooperation in forming a better and moral society. However, the current clash in values is readily interpreted by believers as ample evidence that apart from God, men and women do not know how to be good. We would likely agree with the more reasonable atheists that there should be an innate sense of right and wrong, at least for most people. But we should not forget that human nature while good is also fallen.

Morality includes not only prohibitive acts but also altruism for the good of others and the poor. Ayn Rand’s thinking is particularly popular among conservative politicians on the right. She would also appeal to atheists. Her philosophy of selfishness shuns expressions of charity. It has been noted by certain atheists themselves that the charity and social justice efforts are disproportionately linked to churches and religious people. Both the civil rights efforts for racial integration and the marches for the lives of the unborn are heavily populated by believers. The faithful and Christian organizations are often the first on the ground to support the poor and disadvantaged. Where would they be if people of faith were to disappear?

Many a believer has prayed that he might be spared from the terrible compassion of non-believers with benign intentions but with a lack of guidance about right or wrong. A mother panics about an unplanned pregnancy and destroys her unborn baby. A family frets about the pain that an elderly grandmother suffers and opts for euthanization to end her misery. The Christian places ultimate trust in God. By contrast, the atheist must place his trust in mankind alone, and in practice this means politicians and the state. While believers speak of inalienable and God-given rights, what the state gives, the state can take away. Right and wrong becomes a capricious exercise of pandering to power. The wealthy and powerful will always win in this scenario. The poor and the weak will be victimized and manipulated. It is in recognizing God that we safeguard human dignity and rights. Nothing else satisfies as well.

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Why Have So Many Wars Have Been Fought in the Name of Religion?

Posted on May 16, 2024 by Father Joe

Krystal Smith poses this question at STAPLER CONFESSIONS and states: “From biblical times to modern day, it’s true that many wars have been fought in the name of religion. From the Spanish Inquisition and the Crusades, to modern religious extremists and terror attacks, many have suffered. However, most religious people don’t support going to war with people who have different beliefs. Those who have been mislead to resort to violence fail to see the peaceful messages that are present in virtually all religious texts. Some atheists feel that the world would be more peaceful without the impact of any religions.”

Were there many wars fought over religion? While Hitler ordered the holocaust of six million Jews, it was not really a war over religion. The first World War had to do with clashing empires, alliances and money. The Japanese wanted sovereignty over Asia and control of the Pacific Ocean. Korea and Vietnam was all about the aggression of Chinese atheistic Communism. The Inquisition employed religion as a tool but besides stamping out heresy was essentially a political effort to secure Europe from Moslem occupation. The Crusades preserved Europe from Islamic invasion. Religion was a factor in the Crusades because it was hoped that the Holy Land might be reopened to pilgrims. Religion is merely one factor among many in such questions about human congress and tension. It is not necessarily the single root-cause for hostilities.

Speaking in terms of Christianity, the pacifism of the earliest believers became increasing impracticable and hard to sustain. Believers were martyred like the killing of flies. The Roman empire opposed the new religion because Christianity was intolerant of paganism and believers refused to compromise. One could not worship idols or the demons they signified and still claim the lordship of Jesus Christ. Old Rome saw the emergence of Christianity as a political threat to the empire— especially the language about turning the cheek, giving to those who take from you, and loving your enemies. Christians joined with Constantine to bring three centuries of persecution to an end. When it came to the relationship between the Church and Islam, the weight of guilt was more heavily upon Islam and its notion of jihad or holy war to force religious submission. Islam was to Europe what the Soviet Union was to us during the Cold War. Our faith and civilization were all at stake. The inquisition expelled an enemy from our midst. The crusades sought to open the holy land to pilgrims. The tensions between Protestants and Catholics in Europe were part of a struggle for political power between princes, kings, and the Church. The conflict was more about temporal matters than spiritual ones.

While there are many apologists who argue that militant Islam is an aberration to a religion of peace, in truth every place that becomes 51% Islam experiences a repression of Christians, Jews and others. We would concur with atheists that God’s children should not kill each other over religion; however, Christian believers have a right to defend themselves. When this becomes impossible, as with the Coptic men who had their throats cut, there is a witness to how we should remain faithful even if we must die.

Those atheists who think that a world without religion would be more peaceful are delusional. Atheism has been tried, and as with Stalin, millions suffered the loss of rights and incarceration in the gulags. He killed 20 million of his own people. The atheists who claim political power, subsequently treat their anti-god philosophy like a religion, seeking converts not through argument but through war and revolution. When God is taken out of the picture, men assume his throne. There can never be a vacuum. While critics lament God’s laws and judgment, the verdict of men is much harsher. Separated from the Divine Mercy, why should we be surprised?

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Do You Believe Everything in Your Holy Text?

Posted on May 15, 2024 by Father Joe

Krystal Smith poses this question at STAPLER CONFESSIONS and states: “Religious people typically accept their holy text as the word of God, verbatim. This can cause friction with modern concepts of personal freedom and liberties that didn’t exist in biblical times. Some atheists criticize the archaic laws and customs of the Bible, and insist that it’s outdated and shouldn’t be followed by modern people.”

First, the Bible is not a morality manual. That which is taught must be understood in a contextual way and not quoted as isolated proof texts. Second, everything taught in the Old Testament must be appreciated in the context of its times and culture. No one today would seek to impose stoning or beheading for either adultery or idolatry. Third, the message of Jesus in his words and actions constitutes the prism for understanding the entire Bible. Fourth, not every law or custom in the Bible is meant to have lasting significance. We must discern between the transitory and lasting. Fifth, Catholic morality and beliefs emerge from the Bible, Tradition, the teachings of the Church. Sixth, added to the mix of divine positive law are the truths of natural law. It is precisely a reflection upon the mystery of Christ that enlightens the believer about genuine human rights and the freedom that belongs to the dignity of persons. Those who insist that the Bible creates friction with modern concepts of personal freedom are quite right as a non-Christian secular humanism has lost its way. It not only tolerates but gives approbation to homosexual acts, gender dysphoria, fornication and adultery, and the destruction of the unborn. Many critics would strip believers of their religious liberty. Those who would destroy the unborn forfeit the moral high ground to judge anyone. Freedom was never meant to be a license for sin. Freedom can be abused and become a type of bondage. Part of the problem with the criticism is a wrongful definition of “freedom.”

While we may literally declare the Bible to be the revealed Word of God, immutable divine truths are interspersed with the truths of men. This appreciation of the Word goes beyond the text to an appreciation of the divine presence of Christ. Our Lord is present in both the Word and in the sacrament or Eucharist.

Few or none would argue that we as Christians must believe in or follow the Old Jewish juridical law. The atheists who reject the teachings of the Bible would put no faith in the teaching Church that is charged with the transmission and interpretation of sacred truths. The atheist wrongly views the Scriptures as entirely man-made and thus as having no binding force upon secular men and women. Unfortunately, this includes more than customs but the Decalogue which underpins the traditional appreciation of right and wrong. Believers seek to promote virtue and discriminate against vice. And yet, separated from the sources of revelation, modern men find it difficult to distinguish between right and wrong.

What is often omitted is that the so-called “archaic laws and customs” of the Bible became the underpinnings of Western culture for most of its 2,000 years. Something that was old and ever-new is brushed aside for the new morality and of an emerging secular society. All that is old is rejected as obsolete and wrong while untried fads are given an unmerited importance. The commandments about God are utterly discarded. The commandment about objective truth is compromised by the deception of relativism where the subjectivity of politicians and the media are even given sway over reality and nature, itself. The good of marriage and family life is surrendered to fornication, adultery, and homosexuality. “Thou shall not kill” is qualified as not to include euthanizing old sick people or terminating unwanted or defective children, either in the womb or soon after birth. Obedience becomes a dirty word for a people who will not be told what to do, especially by elders and the Lord. Greed, lust, indeed every deadly sin is celebrated instead of rejected. Minds are poisoned, wills are compromised, and confusion reigns. Today many confess uncertainty about their gender. Biblical morality or Christian ethics are readily discarded, but what if anything substantial is offered in its place?

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Why Doesn’t God Show Himself?

Posted on May 14, 2024 by Father Joe

Krystal Smith poses this question at STAPLER CONFESSIONS and states: “Theists suggest that God is omnipresent, and is in all living things, including us. Some claim to be able to feel God’s presence, or even suggest they’ve experienced divine intervention. These experiences are interpreted as signs from God. Atheists insist that there are no signs from God. They ask why God doesn’t just show himself to everyone to prove his existence.”

Beyond human ignorance and malice, the failure to see signs of God is not dissimilar from the Satanic veiling of consciences regarding the many crimes against the dignity of persons and the sanctity of life. If Catholic politicians are willing to celebrate legislation that promotes the termination of children fully formed after nine months in the womb, then why should we think they would recognize the presence of God or the divine in the world. Those of a secular humanist society have closed their hearts and minds to miracles both natural and supernatural.

Christian philosophers would contend that there needs to be some sort of initial demarcation between ourselves and God as “the greatest good” to preserve freedom. This was likely true for angels before the fall, and it is still the case with us. The acquisition of the greatest good in heaven ensures that one will always say YES to God as a saint.

We are promised that we will all stand before the Lord. But such will be a time of final commendation and reckoning. Those who would demand that God reveal himself immediately right now are literally invoking judgment day. It is for this reason that after death one’s orientation becomes permanent. What we know now is through faith and not through sight. This rationale is why God does not fully or immediately reveal himself to his material creation.

The Lord wants us to meet him part way instead of him doing all the work. He comes to us; we must also go to him. That is an element of the incarnation where Jesus is the human face or revelation of God. God relates to us as one of us, literally joining the human family. All this is to assist us in properly relating to God. The late Archbishop Fulton Sheen spoke about Christ becoming a man as the traversing of a greater distance than a man becoming an ant. The Old Testament asserts that none could see God as he is and live. Notice the transformation in the likeness of Moses after commingling with God on the mountain. God is fire and to encounter him threatens being burned.

Theists do more than suggest that God is “omnipresent,” he is necessarily keeping all things in existence. His role as Creator is not locked in a moment of history but is ongoing and necessary. If God were to neglect us even for a moment, we would cease to exist. Fortunately, the divine economy does not permit annihilation. The intervention of God also includes his interaction with us and a gradual revelation that finds fulfillment with the coming of Jesus Christ. The Lord establishes both a corporate or communal and a personal relationship with us. He desires to share awareness, life, and love with us. It is in this that we are made in the image of God. God has given us his Church and there are supernatural signs to reassure believers, such as apparitions and miracles. Believers trust the testimony of past witnesses and the teachings of Christ’s Church. They also open themselves to a sense of the Lord’s presence and form a real relationship with the living Christ. Believers do not believe they are delusional but rather that there is a real spiritual encounter and friendship. However, one must be open to a relationship with the Lord. Many non-believers are ill-disposed for the grace that comes with faith and love in Christ.

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If God Created the Universe Then Who Created God?

Posted on May 13, 2024 by Father Joe

Krystal Smith poses this question at STAPLER CONFESSIONS and states: “Most theists believe that God is eternal and therefore always existed. Some might suggest that God created time, space, and the universe all at the same time. Atheists insist that something cannot come from nothing, and therefore something must have created God in the first place. The phrase ex nihilo nihil fit is Latin for “from nothing comes nothing.” This argument has been used by philosophers throughout history to refute the notion of an eternal God.”

Yes, Christians believe that God has always existed; however, the matter is far deeper. God is the ground for all existence. He is existence itself or the great “to be.” The problem with atheists is that they are thinking about “god” as just another thing. He is not. God as a pure spirit exists from all eternity, but he wanted to share the goodness of existence. We believe that he created spiritual beings called angels and that he created material beings, the highest of which are men and women. Material things find themselves situated in time and space. They come into and go out of being. We are immortal because the soul is immaterial and has no parts to break down or die. The Latin phrase, ex nihilo nihil fit, is actually an argument against atheists, not theists. The proper question is not, “Who created God?” but rather, who created us and everything else? An infinite regression is an absurdity. If “nothing comes from nothing” then there should be no humanity and no creation around us to reflect upon. God is the necessary being. The catechism asserts that almighty God creates us through an act of the divine will out of nothing. Even the much touted theory of the “big bang” was theorized by a Catholic priest. Note the confusion of non-believing scientists when asked what existed prior to the singularity that became the big bang. They really do not know and their speculation takes them into the realm of magic.

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Where is the Proof That God Exists?

Posted on May 11, 2024 by Father Joe

Krystal Smith poses this question at STAPLER CONFESSIONS and states: “Many theists believe that the existence of man, the world, and the universe are all proof that God exists. They argue that everything we see is God’s creation, and the forces of the universe serve as proof that only something as powerful as God could have created it. Atheists suggest that the big bang is origin of the universe and that beyond that everything can be explained by science. They claim that any existence at all before the big bang simply unknown, or even unknowable.”

The assertion that everything before the “big bang” is unknowable is a bit of a cop out. Avoiding the question of ultimate origins, it reflects a linear thinking about time and the limitations of the scientific method. Observation and celestial mathematics require something to see or measure. What was going on before the beginning? Most throw up their hands and say that cannot be answered or even asked. Frustration about this is known by believers as well. We claim a faith seeking understanding. But sometimes we must be humble. Atheism from scientists is frequently exhibited alongside a hubris for their calling and a disdain against believers. St. Augustine posed the question differently in his Confessions, “What did God do before he made heaven and earth?” He jokingly answered, “Preparing hell for those who pry into such mysteries.”

Of course, the Christian would respond that our existence is itself the answer to the question of God’s existence. Which seems more reasonable, that the universe and rational human life emerged on its own from nothingness or that there is a creator God? The cosmological argument insists that nothing comes from nothing. The universe exists and can be studied. If the atheists are right then we should not be here— not us, not the earth, not the stars— nothing. But the fact remains, we exist and know we exist. There is objective reality. As rational creatures we can observe, make deductions, and ponder the great questions. Are we to imagine that we are merely a cosmic accident?

Besides the cosmological argument that assumes God’s existence from that of the created universe, there are various other efforts to prove God’s existence. Many are familiar with the ontological argument of St. Anselm that God is the “being of which no greater can be conceived” and as such by necessity must exist. Descartes would argue that the existence of a good God under-girds the credibility of our senses to the objective world. Aquinas gives us his Five Ways (the unmoved mover, the first cause, the necessary being, the perfection of attributes or goodness, and the final cause).

Throughout history there have been many efforts to prove the existence of God or ways to know that he is real. Christians believe that philosophy and human reason can bring us to this awareness, but that revelation is necessary to know that he is a personal God who loves us and wills to save us.

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Why Do You Think Your Religion is the Correct One?

Posted on May 9, 2024 by Father Joe

Krystal Smith poses this question at STAPLER CONFESSIONS and states: “Religious people tend to subscribe to just one religion and reject the others. Theists who are impartial to any specific religion might share the same sentiment as atheists in this regard. They might acknowledge the similarities between some world religions and suggest that which exact one a person follows isn’t as important as recognizing there is a God and praying. Atheists tend to believe that a person’s choice of religion is based solely on what culture they were born into, and is thus arbitrary.”

Atheists are right that most people tend to join the majority religion of the culture and family into which they are born. However, we are not creatures of fate and many either change their affiliation or lose faith entirely. Further, given the missionary mandate of Christianity, many are moved by the preaching of the Church and the grace of God to become Christian or Catholic.

Catholicism views itself as the Church directly instituted by Christ and as the true religion. There is a historical bond between Judaism (the first People of God) and the consummation of the covenant by Christ for the Catholic Christian community, the new People of God, or the Church. Judaism and Islam are both natural religions with a belief in one God. Christianity is a supernatural faith given the belief in the mystery of the Trinity: three divine Persons in one divine Nature.

Just as scientific theories vary, so does religion. But the truth is still what it is. The many religions of the world are an expression of how we were made for God and search out ultimate meaning. Many are regarded by Christianity as wrong or incomplete. We reject the negation of Buddhism and the polytheism of Hinduism. While certain Protestant affiliations emphasize a personal or individualized faith; Catholicism also insists upon the corporate faith. The Church is not merely for fellowship but is the essential sacrament of salvation. Christ is the Mediator and is the one and only Savior. There is also no salvation outside the Catholic Church. It is for this reason that we intercede in prayer for those believers outside her fold.

We would claim that Catholicism best answers the longings of the human heart and the need for meaning and answers about suffering, death and our place in creation. The problem of pain finds resolution in a profound solidarity with Christ where there is redemption. Sacrificial love becomes a hallmark of Christian self-donation and identity. We have not been orphaned by God. We have a purpose and no one need live and die in vain. The Christian faith offers the gift of HOPE and LIFE while atheism can only grant a temporary respite for some, despair for the many and ultimately oblivion for all.

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