Skeptical Faith

Google Image David Brooks, one of my favorite writers - who was considered a conservative until the Trump era - believes the president is the archetype of contemporary paganism. I know this may offend some religious people, but I think what Brooks has to say is close to the values of the gospel. “The pagan values of ancient Rome celebrated power, manliness, conquest, ego, fame, competitiveness and prowess,” Brooks wrote in a recent New York Times column, “and it is those values that have always been at the core of Trump’s being — from his real estate grandiosity to his love of pro wrestling to his king-of-the-jungle version of American greatness.” But Brooks acknowledges it’s not just Trump. “It’s the whole phalanx of authoritarians, all those greatness-obsessed macho men like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. It’s the tech bros (the macho tech workers in places like Silicon Valley). It’s Christian nationalism, which is paganism with worship music.” Christian Nationalism (Christian Nation...

Google Image I understand that my weekly blog is counter-cultural, and for some of my friends and acquaintances, it may even be embarrassing. You just don't talk or write about God, and religion - especially as often as I do. That’s why I was intrigued by a recent article in the New York Times entitled, “Why Is It So Hard to Talk about God?” It’s an interview by Times writer Lauren Jackson with Krista Tippett, creator and host of the radio program,  On Being , a nd author of a book called, Why Religion Matters—and How to Talk About It. Jackson believes religion “dominates American politics and culture, but many people struggle to talk about it — especially with those who might disagree with them.” I’m not sure about the first part. In what sense does it “dominate” our politics and culture? Rarely Discuss Religion But I believe it’s evident that most Americans rarely discuss religion with others, a view that is backed by a Pew study  from 2019. It’s a taboo subject...

Then Bishop Prevost, Now Pope Leo XIV in Peru Google Image There’s a remarkable passage in the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, that book in the Bible that recounts Christianity’s first years, in which the apostles were gathered in a room with Jesus after his resurrection. They asked him: “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Why remarkable? Because after spending three years with Jesus, the apostles still seemed to misunderstand his mission. Jews of Jesus’ time had for over 60 years been chafing under the rule of the Romans, whose pagan culture clashed with Jewish dogma and practice. Many in Jesus’ time believed the Messiah would restore the Kingdom by driving out the Romans, and the apostles – even after following Jesus and listening to many sermons and seeing many miracles – were no exceptions. Jesus didn’t answer their question directly, except to say that only his Father knew what was in store for them, and for the world, and that they would be...

Google Image I have mentioned in a previous blog that in the newsroom of the newspaper where I worked for 22 years was a sign that read, “If your mother says she loves you, check it out.” The idea, of course, is that reporters should be skeptical. But skepticism, I believe, should not be limited to reporters. It's healthy and should apply to matters of faith as well as other areas of life. That’s the reason this blog is entitled, “Skeptical Faith.” Some may be skeptical of my skepticism. After all, I'm a practicing Christian, a believer who has chosen to accept some things – mostly beliefs where the evidence is weak – on faith. But I don’t see that as a disqualifier as a skeptic. After all, atheists and agnostics also accept many things in life on faith (though “religious faith” may be different in many ways). What Accounts for the Doctrines? I often think about how Christianity got started. What accounts for its doctrines? For that, I tend to rely as much on science – hi...

Google Image My beloved paternal grandmother, Julia, who died in 1957, had what I’ve heard identified as “late-onset Alzheimer’s.” In other words, she had a kind of dementia that happens late in life. My parents decided to take her out of a nursing home, and my mother vowed to care for her in our home. At first, it was relatively easy. Julia was able to do much for herself. But her dementia progressed rapidly, and she was soon bedridden. My mother - with my father still working and none of us five children able to provide much help - struggled to bathe her, get her to the bathroom, feed her and make her comfortable. In just a few months, Julia was unable to think rationally, and she began a sort of mantra, shouting over and over from her bed, “c’mon, c’mon, c’mon.” A metaphor? It was heart-breaking, and irritating, but thinking about it now, I see it as a sort of metaphor for the constant mental state in which many of us live. We’re always thinking about what comes next, what tom...