The Presumptions of Modern Science / Man as the center of the universe

First this apropos item in light of recent discussion. ~ Janice

"Thou shalt love thy neighbour." - Matthew 5:43

"Love thy neighbour." Perhaps he rolls in riches, and thou art poor,
and living in thy little cot side-by-side with his lordly mansion;
thou seest every day his estates, his fine linen, and his sumptuous
banquets; God has given him these gifts, covet not his wealth, and
think no hard thoughts concerning him. Be content with thine own lot,
if thou canst not better it, but do not look upon thy neighbour, and
wish that he were as thyself. Love him, and then thou wilt not envy him.

Perhaps, on the other hand, thou art rich, and near thee reside the
poor. Do not scorn to call them neighbour. Own that thou art bound to
love them. The world calls them thy inferiors. In what are they
inferior? They are far more thine equals than thine inferiors, for
"God hath made of one blood all people that dwell upon the face of
the earth. " It is thy coat which is better than theirs, but thou art
by no means better than they. They are men, and what art thou more
than that? Take heed that thou love thy neighbour even though he be
in rags, or sunken in the depths of poverty.

But, perhaps, you say, "I cannot love my neighbours, because for all
I do they return ingratitude and contempt." So much the more room for
the heroism of love. Wouldst thou be a feather-bed warrior, instead
of bearing the rough fight of love? He who dares the most, shall win
the most; and if rough be thy path of love, tread it boldly, still
loving thy neighbours through thick and thin. Heap coals of fire on
their heads, and if they be hard to please, seek not to please them,
but to please thy Master; and remember if they spurn thy love, thy
Master hath not spurned it, and thy deed is as acceptable to him as
if it had been acceptable to them. Love thy neighbour, for in so
doing thou art following the footsteps of Christ. ..." ~ Spurgeon
8/25/02 More: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1594877/posts

<http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1594927/posts>Unbelief and
Bad Belief (growth of hostility towards religion in secularized society)
Zenit News Agency ^ | March 11, 2006
http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=85813

Posted on 03/12/2006 8:43:21 AM EST by
<http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1594927//~nyer/>NYer
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1594927/posts [refresh
browser continuously]

Indifference or hostility to religion is a well-established
phenomenon in many Western countries. Recent events such as the
Mohammed cartoon controversy point to the serious consequences that
follow when secular society is unable to appreciate religious
sensibilities, giving rise to needless offense.

In this context a document made available a short while ago on the
Vatican's Web site merits a closer look. "The Christian Faith at the
Dawn of the New Millennium and the Challenge of Unbelief and
Religious Indifference" contains the conclusions of the March 2004
plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Culture.

To prepare for the meeting, the council gathered information from
countries around the world. The answers provided give an overview of
some of the main characteristics of secularization.

The document starts by noting the loss of faith in today's world.
"There is a rupture in the handing on the faith, intimately linked to
the process of abandonment of a popular culture long attached to and
impregnated by Christianity," the introduction states. The weakening
of this popular religious culture brings with it serious consequences
in terms of how people think, behave and judge.

"The Church today is confronted more by indifference and practical
unbelief than with atheism," the pontifical council commented. With
few exceptions, governments no longer publicly affirm atheism.

Yet while the number of regimes marked by an atheistic political
system has declined, a certain cultural hostility against religions
has spread. This is palpable in some sectors of the media and is
directed against Christianity, particularly Catholicism, the document
observed.

The threat here is more subtle. "It is a veritable sickness of the
soul which induces to live 'as though God did not exist,' a
neo-paganism that idolizes material goods, the achievements of work,
and the fruits of power," the pontifical council noted. This leads to
what the document terms as "homo indifferens," and often the search
for happiness is reduced to a desire for material prosperity and the
gratification of sexual impulses.

Causes of unbelief

The document notes that there are old and new causes behind the loss
of religious belief. Drawing, in part, on the analysis made in the
Second Vatican Council's pastoral constitution,
<http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_cons_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html>"Gaudium
et Spes," the Pontifical Council for Culture identifies some of the
main factors.

-- The presumptions of modern science. The vision of the world
without any reference to God, that rejects his existence on the basis
of scientific principles, has become widespread and commonplace.

-- Man as the center of the universe. Western culture is permeated by
a form of subjectivism that professes the absolute subjectivity of
the individual and denies the existence of objective truths or
values. This exaltation of the individual means that the Church is no
longer accepted as a doctrinal and moral authority.

-- The problem of evil. "The mystery of evil has been and always will
be a scandal for intelligent man, and only the light of Christ
crucified and glorified can fully reveal and express it," the
Pontifical Council for Culture notes. Today, the document adds,
awareness of the presence of evil is amplified through the power of
the mass media.

-- The limitations of Christians and the Church. Negative or
unpleasant experiences, or scandals caused by priests, can estrange
some people from the Church.

-- Handing on the faith. Changes in the family and Catholic schools
make the transmission of the faith to new generations more difficult.
The power of the mass media also undermines traditional cultural
practices in the area of religion.

-- Secularization. Many believers follow a lifestyle in which God or
religion is of little importance. Changes in sexual morality have
also had negative effects for the life of faith, the document notes.

Believing without belonging

Nevertheless, it is wrong to think that this means religion ceases to
have a role, the pontifical council contends. After an initial
rejection of religion there is a sort of reaction, by a portion of
the population at least, and people look once more for spiritual
sustenance. But this search is no longer directed through the
established churches or by means of traditional forms of worship.

What ensues is a search "for an experience which is entirely
individual, autonomous and guided by one's own subjectivity." This
sort of instinctive religiosity, the pontifical council explains, is
based more on emotions than on doctrine and is expressed without
reference to a personal God. The document describes it as "believing
without belonging."

Modern culture is, therefore, characterized by a twofold phenomenon:
"unbelief and bad belief." Both of them have in common a desire for
autonomy. The Pontifical Council for Culture also identifies a number
of other characteristics of these new forms of belief.

-- It is a romantic form of religion, a religion of the spirit and of
the self which has its roots in the crisis of the subject who is more
and more narcissistic, and rejects all historical and objective
elements. This do-it-yourself religion leads people to create a new
image of God at different stages of their lives, according to the
needs they perceive.

-- It is a strongly subjective religion, where the individual is
under no obligation to give an account of his reasons or behavior.

-- It is an adherence to a God who often has no face or personal
characteristics. God is often seen more as a force or superior
transcendent being, but not as a Father. In some circles this leads
to a return of pantheism.

-- It is a religion in which there is a lack of interest for the
question of the truth. For many, truth has a negative connotation,
associated with concepts such as "dogmatism, intolerance, imposition."

Overcoming obstacles

The Pontifical Council for Culture went on to propose a number of
ways to tackle the problems outlined. [snip]

"..Toward the end the document takes note of the need to convince
nonbelievers that they will only find the fullness of their humanity
in Christ, true God and true man. A task that could test the faith of
any believer.
Received on Sun Mar 12 10:48:47 2006