Skeptical Faith

Google Image Since moving to Colorado, I’ve had lots of opportunities to spend time with my four-year-old grandson, Leo. Recently, we toured the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. I know, it sounds like a bit too sophisticated for a four-year-old. But on the day we went, the museum was filled with children. About 20 school busloads, to be more exact. And we found lots of interesting things to see, even for four-year-olds. As always, I was amazed at Leo’s curiosity about the natural world, as well as his interaction with the other children at the exhibits. He was especially fascinated by an exhibit of skinless men, called “The Hikers.” It’s part of a display of human bodies and body parts that have been preserved using a process called “plastination.” One More Piece of Plastic? That word says it all, and personally, I’m not comfortable with the idea of turning a human body into one more piece of plastic, and some may believe seeing such an exhibit is not appropriate for a four...

Google Image When I was in the seminary studying theology, our Scripture professor, Fr. Ignatius Hunt, on Mondays would choose a student in class - I presume arbitrarily - to answer a question or two about what we had learned the week before. One of my friends, Tom R, sweated bullets on Mondays, dreading the calling of his name. The class had three or four “Toms” and Fr. Ignatius, a scripture scholar but a kind man (and one of the best teachers I had in all of my formal education), would call the name, “Tom,” then pause, looking over the student roster in his hands, before calling a last name. This would cause Tom R, to squirm in his seat, much to the amusement us so-called friends. Most of us will remember the anxiety we felt in school on the eve of a big exam, or even a quick quiz such as those of Fr. Ignatius. We might have prepared well, but there was always a chance of “trick” questions or ones for which we were unprepared. Constantly Testing Us? Many people evidently believ...

Google Image There is an old film, made in 1960, that caused me to be a secret admirer of Hayley Mills, the British child actress whom I thought was about the cutest girl ever. The film was called Pollyanna. Based on a book by Eleanor Porter, it was about an 11-year-old, unabashed optimist named Pollyanna, an orphan who lives with her stern aunt Polly. Nothing could shake Pollyanna’s view that life is wonderful, and since the book and movie, “Pollyanna” is used to describe a person who is unrealistically optimistic. One movie scene features actor Karl Madden as the Reverend Ford, who has the listeners of his sermon - including Pollyanna - writhing in their seats in fear. He portrays what used to be called a “Fire and Brimstone” preacher. "Misery Forever" “Death Comes Unexpectedly,” he roars, adding that people who aren’t “born again” can expect “misery forever” in the afterlife. “Who is the man who thinks he can withstand God’s mighty wrath?” he asks. If you think thi...

Google Image Years ago in Ireland, the daughter of a cousin of my grandmother had a child out-of-wedlock. I heard this from my brother, a priest, who said the girl’s family took the baby from the mother and had the child raised by her grandmother. My brother spoke approvingly of this arrangement, saying that the girl’s family decided that if she was irresponsible enough to have a baby out-of-wedlock, she was too irresponsible to be a mother. When older, my brother changed his mind about that opinion, and although I thought it made sense when I first learned about it, I, too, grew to disapprove. The girl had a right to raise her child and should have had the support and love of her family. Grow in Faith? As with my brother and me, most people grow in their faith and faith-related views as they age. They may come to better understand the requirements of their faith and gain some wisdom just by living the trials and joys of life. Last week, I wrote a blog called “What Love Demands...

Google Image An itinerant preacher is in a small house, packed with people who are transfixed listening to his experience of God as loving Father. It contradicts much of what the listeners have learned and, as usual with this preacher, many are confused. Suddenly, he is interrupted by someone who says, “Rabbi, your mother and brothers are outside, wanting to speak with you.” In a seemingly rude way, he answers, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” Then he answers his own question, indicating his listeners: “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.” Many of you will recognize this story about Jesus in Matthew’s gospel, and also be confused. Surely, Jesus wasn’t rejecting his family. Surely, he loved them. Writing from Memory One of the things we have to remember about the gospels is that the authors are writing from memory. According to Wikipedia, most scholars believe t he Gospels were wri...