Posts
WGN Radio reports on their website a new phenomenon beginning in Chicago. (Click here). Secular organizations around the country are organizing the promotion of “freethinkers” who “argue that beliefs should be based on rationality, not on religious tradition or dogma.” The co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Annie Laurie Gaylor, comments in an article quote, “We have to reach them [atheists], provide an alternative to religion and let them know we're here. Many of us reject the idea of blind faith.” They accomplish this through ads with slogans like “Sleep in on Sundays” or “In the beginning, man created God” and other multimedia ads, programs, and organized movements.
The article and those in the movement anticipate strong religious right outcry. My outcry comes from different reasons than they foresaw. I am more sad than angry that they are promoting and rallying the atheist secular cause. What really makes me angry is their complete lack of engagement with the religious right. If they wanted to engage productively in the public sphere, I would have expected them to do their homework which includes delving into 2,000 years of Christian (specifically Catholic) scholarship. Reason has always been at the forefront of Catholicism enlightened by Faith. Until they are ready and willing to engage on an equal playing field, there is no debate and no possible way to engage with them in their emotional and moral relativistic arguments. Until they engage with religious reason instead of rejecting it outright because of faith they are as close minded and as bigoted as they claim their opponents to be. The Church is ready and willing to engage in dialogue. Join in the relentless pursuit of Truth. “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:32)
Pope Benedict XVI spoke on faith and reason in his General Wednesday Audience on 16 June 2010:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
That was well-written, Kellen.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting--the article in the WGN stated their statistics incorrectly. I wonder if they know. It says: "The most recent American Religious Identification Survey, conducted in 2008, found that the "no religion" category was the only group to have grown in the continental United States since the previous poll in 1990." Actually, the proportion of Muslims has grown. If you break the Christian group down into denominations, you see increases there as well, mostly in the evangelical sections although Catholics have been holding pretty steady. I guess it's rational to check the sources of stats. Source: The American Religion Survey website
Very well-put and reasonable. Thanks for posting this- I enjoy reading your blog.
ReplyDelete