Spiritual/Political/Philosophical Blog on the Nature of Truth and Falsehood and Heaven
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| Sunny Days in Heaven Spiritual/Political/Philosophical Blog on the Nature of Truth and Falsehood and Heaven |
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Friday, May 10, 2002 Hey! What am I? Chopped Liver? Rod Dreher at NRO mentions Catholic blogs again and leaves me out! That's because I'm kind of the crazy uncle in the basement of Catholic theology which makes me, yes, chopped liver. But let us examine reality for a moment. The Church considers itself to possess truth. But this is a truth which must be examined to be determined, and if the Church is unable to examine whether what it believes is actually true or not, how can it claim to be the truth? A paradox, no? So how can I be a crazy uncle in the basement if all I ask for is an intellectually honest examination of truth and reality? And if an organization claims to know the truth, but is afraid to examine its premises, how does that make a member disloyal? Isn't our first loyalty to Jesus and God love of Truth? Sadly, there is not one single claim or argument that the Church makes on its own behalf apart from the resurrection of Jesus that can't be shredded to bits and reduced to absurdity. In fact, Paul shreds them all (including the one he wished to remain an exception, the Atonement; but his own argument does that in also). Someone may try to explain to me, though, how our "freedom in Christ" means lack of freedom in thought, reason, and interpretation. Furthermore A great problem for Christians (and others in various pursuits) is that once a person chooses to identify themselves with a group or position, they develop a vested interest in what that group or position maintains; whereas Truth is different. I have no vested interest in the logic of 1+1=2 except that I must prefer the logic and rationality of such a statement as opposed to illogical and irrational statements that have no factuality. I am interested in Truth by nature of my sentient existence; but I have no 'vested' interest in the success, support, hopes, fears, or claims of any group which extends beyond that which is demonstrable. The same with Jesus. If I know that Jesus is God, resurrected from human being, then I know something which is true and demonstrably so; but is a somewhat different manner than simple arithmetic. It is demonstrably so because 1) it is relevent to all human beings; and 2) is discernible to all sensible people; and 3) is revealed to any who sincerely wish to know. Do we want to teach people how to think or to believe? A number of people have noted a serious difference between modern Christianity and Islam when a few try to tar Christians with the same brush of fundamentalism as Islamic fanatics. The difference between the two is real, but a history lesson shows that the difference is merely a matter of time and not place. Christianity was at one time as fanatically intolerant and violent as Islam is now. The history of the Church as Institution is not one of saints, but of vested interests. It has survived because of saints, not in spite of mediocrity and evil doing (but the same can be said for any religion or cult that extends beyond the death of its founder). But I have yet to meet or study a saint who has been able to honestly examine the bulk of his or her prejudices and premises regarding truth and the Church. Meister Eckhart comes closest (but he was excommunicated as a heretic after his death). P.S. This article in Crisis about Christianity and its heresy battles and witch hunts goes far to illustrate fanatical intolerance and violence of a not so long ago Church. posted by Mark Butterworth | 2:19 PM | |
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