Skeptical Faith

Google Image It’s no secret that we live in a divided, contentious and litigious society, and that the divisions touch pretty much all aspects of life. What may be less known is that the divisions are just as discernable among believers. My own Catholic faith provides ample evidence. Bishops, priests and laity are divided mostly along “liberal” and “conservative” lines. But major Protestant denominations, including Episcopalians, Methodists and Baptists, are undergoing serious crises over issues that are also often categorized by “liberal” and “conservative” tags. This shouldn’t be surprising. We’re all human, after all, and humans aren’t known for unanimity of opinions. The ancient Christian church wasn’t immune from such divisions. Church leaders had to call a meeting in Jerusalem – sometimes called the Council of Jerusalem – around 50 A.D. to resolve a serious dispute about whether newly converted Gentiles should be required to observe the Jewish Mosaic law. (They basically ag...

Google Image I had an acquaintance who suffered from a particularly virulent form of cancer. He was only in his 50s, but the pain and indignity caused by his illness was too much for him, and, with assistance from a professional in a place it was permitted, he decided to take his own life. I don’t know enough about his situation to judge, even if that were my job, but I’m sure he decided that life wasn’t worth living and he was unable, or unwilling, to suffer further. Who knows how many people find themselves in a similar situation? And, as I mentioned, who am I to judge? I hope I don’t find myself in that state, and I hope I would choose a different path of resolution, but who knows? Labels Don't Mean Much David Brooks, a writer at Atlantic magazine and a columnist for the New York Times, has an interesting article on the subject in the June edition of the magazine. Brooks was considered a conservative until the Trump era. Now, he doesn’t seem so. I don’t believe those label...

Google Image After I had been a writer at the Des Moines Register for several years, the editor came to my desk one day to ask me to become the medical/health-care reporter. “Do you know anything about my background?” I asked. “I know little to nothing about medicine and though I have an interest, I have a weak knowledge of science.” “That’s exactly why we want you to consider this position, he responded. We want you to explain what’s going on in those areas to readers who also know next to nothing about it. We think you’ll do a good job.” I asked to have time to think about it but decided it would be great to be able to concentrate on one area, and learn in the process. I accepted. Wonderful "school" It was a good decision. It was a wonderful school to learn, not only about medicine, but about the economics of health care. Most of the time on that “beat,” I thought I should be paying the newspaper instead of them paying me. But there was a sharp learning curve. And...

Google Image Rachel Connolly recently wrote a column in the New York Times called “The Tyranny of the Best.” “There is a kind of person who finds the idea of seeking out ‘the best’ incredibly enticing,” she writes, “on an almost spiritual level. The kind of person who genuinely enjoys perusing articles like “the nine best hair dryers of 2023,” who is overcome with clammy dread at the idea of drinking in a bar with only a four-star rating on Google, who, in order to plan a weekend getaway, requires a prolonged and extensive operation that involves several spreadsheets.” Connolly writes about a friend she says is known for “his fastidiously curated lists of restaurants, bars and even specific menu items; his near refusal to venture into establishments that are anything less than excellent; and his hours spent trawling reviews for everything from mini fridges to trail shoes.” A Matter of Life and Death You may know a person like this. I have family members who, though they don’t...

Google Image My brother-in-law, Jose Mario Botero, recently took a terrible fall down a spiraling, steel staircase in his home in Medellín, Colombia. It resulted in a massive head injury, and he has been in a coma since. His prognosis is uncertain. Mario, as he is called by family and friends, recently turned 70 years old. He and his wife, Martha, retired just a few years ago and were beginning to enjoy leisure, travel and time with family. Then, tragedy struck. Why, some of us ask, did God allow this? For that matter, why does God allow the daily tragic occurrences that can happen to all of us? The terrible accidents, suicides, murders, wars, the bitterness among people? If God is the all-loving Creator claimed by religious people, why do we have so much trouble? Why didn’t God simply create a better world? Greatest Obstacle to Faith? I’ve written about this subject many times, but I believe the issue is the greatest obstacle to faith for many people and deserves further discussio...